In The Light Of The Night
by racinchick08
Summary: This is a story about Lizzie's Leukemia coming back and everyone, especially her boyfriend Coop, would realize what life could be like without her.
1. Realizing The Truth

This takes place right after Lizzie evicted the Coopers from their rooms at Elizabeth and Company. Coop and Lizzie are not on good terms.

In The Light Of The Night

Chapter 1

Lizzie was sitting down at one of the vacant tables at her restaurant, Elizabeth and Company, still wiping the tears from her eyes. She hadn't meant to let her Aunt Alexandra see her this upset over Coop. She didn't want anyone to see her this upset at all, especially about Coop. She didn't mean for things to turn out this way. She didn't mean to make Coop that angry. There were a lot of things she didn't mean to do, yet, she always managed to do it. On the positive side of the evening, she had finally been honest with Coop. She had told him why she did what she did. The whole scene and conversation that occurred that night flashed back before her:

(Flash)

Coop was pounding down the stairs with his duffel bag and everything he owned. He threw everything on the floor and started packing in the middle of the restaurant. Lizzie was furious. She stormed over there and demanded he take his stuff back upstairs.

"I want you take all your crap and put it back up stairs", she had screamed.

"Does that mean you are gonna let us stay here, than?" Coop had responded.

"NO! Not on your life," was what she has said.

"THAN LET ME PACK!" Coop had screamed back. He was furious.

At that moment she realized that evicting the Coopers from the only home they had ever known was the wrong thing to do. But she had gone to far this time. So she tried to smooth things over and explain her real reason for evicting them.

"Coop, I didn't want it to be like this", she said, watching him continue to throw his belongings in his duffel bag. "I'm not doing this because you ditched me".

Coop abruptly stopped packing and turned to her and snapped, " Than why are you doing this, Lizzie?"

Then came the honest part of the conversation. She hadn't been this honest about her feelings with anyone in a really long time. And she didn't mean to let it happen. It kind of just slipped out.

" Because you hurt me, okay. I can't have you living here and working here, because it hurts too much. There! Are you happy?" Lizzie has told him. Then she had just walked away.

Coop finished packing and left Company without another look her direction.

(End of flash)

Lizzie was so caught up in the daydream, she didn't notice that her Aunt Alex had brought her a cup of coffee and was pulling up a chair at her table. Alex sat down and handed her a kleenex.

"You going to need a thousand of these, if you don't stop the water works." Alex said, trying to cheer her niece up. She had remembered what young love was like, although it was a long time ago.

" I don't know what you're talking about, Aunt Alex." Lizzie said, taking a sip of her coffee.

" Darling, why will you not admit and recognize that you like Coop?" Alex questioned.

" Are you afraid to fall in love?" Alex asked, pumping her niece for information.

"Aunt Alex, I told you I didn't like Henry, it was just an act. I was playing him, and he was playing me. Now it is over. There is nothing left between us." Lizzie said, unsure of her own answer.

Alex sipped her coffee and stared her niece up and down. Apparently, Lizzie had noticed what she was doing because she started to get fidgety.

Lizzie knew her aunt was not buying her story. She didn't even buy her own story. She knew she liked Coop as a friend. Okay. Maybe more than a friend. But it was definitely not love. She knew that for sure. No one could ever love her for all her mistakes, flaws, and wrong doings. There was only one person who could. And he was dead.

" What are you staring at me like that?" Lizzie asked her aunt, who couldn't seem to take her eyes off of her.

" I want you to be as honest with me as you were with Coop," Alex stated. " Why are you so afraid to take a chance and fall in love?"

" Aunt Alex, first of all, I would never fall in love with Henry Cooper Bradshaw. Not after everything he did to me. Are you forgetting that he broke into my room and stole that piece of glass with Carl's blood on it? Not only that," Lizzie continued, "he then proceeded to take it to the courtroom and try and get me convicted of killing my own father?" Lizzie finished. " How can you expect me to forgive him for that?"

"Oh Lizzie," Alex said with a sigh, " You are making up excuses, darling. You forgave him for that weeks ago," Alex reminded the young woman. " You were quite smitten by him a few days ago, and now you are telling me you feel nothing for him?" Alex concluded.

" Fine, you want the truth, I will give you the truth. Yes, I feel something for him, but those feelings are not real. They can't be." Lizzie said, picking up her coffee cup.

" And why not?" Alex questioned.

" Because I am a Spaulding and he is a Cooper. Spauldings and Coopers never mix." Lizzie said, but not very convincingly.

Alex suddenly looked very concerned. " Do not let your grandfather tell you who you can be with and who you love. That is up to you. Not him." Alex said in a meaningful tone. " You know what I think, Lizzie" Alex said, " I think you pushed Coop away so you could hurt him before he could hurt you." But you know what the worst part about doing that is," Alex said, " you are going to be the one who ends up being the lonely one."

Alex picked up her cup and moved her chair back to the original table it came from.

" One last word of advice, Lizzie. I would think long and hard before you do something this severe again. It can hurt a lot of people, and as far as you and Coop are concerned, I would be finding a way to make it up to him." Alex said. " If you wanted to hurt him, I think you did a pretty good job." Alex concluded.

Lizzie watched as her aunt walked away from the table and went outside to make the walk home. She let everything her aunt said sink in. She knew in the back of her mind, Alex was right. She should never have done this. She had to undo all the damage that she had caused, and for the first time, make Coop forgive her.

Spoilers for Chapter Two:

Coop and Buzz have a heart to heart about Lizzie

Lizzie works to undo the damage she caused

Coop and Lizzie are on the road to reconciliation

What did you think?

Whitney


	2. Talk With Dad

Chapter 2

Coop walked into the Beacon and slammed his stuff down in the lobby. He assumed this was where he and his family were going to be living for the time being, until they found a more permanent place. He had never been more mad at anyone in his entire life as he was at Lizzie right now. He shouldn't have been surprised. She could be mean sometimes, but he never knew she could be that mean. The worst part about it was telling his family. He knew they were going to flip. He was the reason this was happening. She was punishing his whole family because he had ditched her earlier that evening. He had called his father and asked him to meet him there.

Coop sat down on the couch in the Beacon lobby as his father was pushing through the crowd at the front desk. Buzz finally managed to get through the people and make his way over to his son.

"Coop, what was so urgent that I had to rush over here?" Buzz asked, as he sat down across from Coop in the plushy chair.

" Dad, I really don't know how to tell you this, so I guess I'll just come out and say it," Coop said, in a nervous tone. " Lizzie and I got into a little argument tonight, well, okay maybe a huge argument" Coop continued.

" Well what's new about that? Every time I have seen you with the Spaulding Heiress you two are fighting," Buzz questioned.

" Yeah, but this time I screwed up everything," Coop answered. " She evicted us from the boarding house," Coop finished rather quickly.

Buzz kind of shifted in his chair and looked at his son. " Well, what did you do this time?" he asked, sounding not very surprised.

" I ditched her earlier this afternoon because she was trying to turn me all Spaulding," Coop answered. " Or at least I thought she was."

Buzz looked his son up and down trying to figure out his true feelings. " Trying to turn you Spaulding?" he asked.

" Yeah. She was introducing me to some big shot restaurant guy and lied about my experience in the restaurant business," Coop said.

" That doesn't mean she was trying to turn you Spaulding," Buzz replied, still unsure of his son's reason for being so mad, "There may be a logical explanation for her actions if you had listened long enough for her to tell it to you," Buzz finished.

Coop couldn't believe how calm his father was. I mean, I guess his father had a lot of experience with the Spauldings, but he thought being evicted might be the last straw for his father. With Harley being on trial and all, Coop figured his dad would go ballistic when he heard the news. But here he was, cool, calm, and collected.

Buzz finally spoke, breaking the ice. " If you don't mind me asking, how do you feel about Lizzie?"

"How do I feel?" Coop asked, shocked that his father could ask him that. " Can you not see how I feel? Lizzie evicted us from our only home we have ever known." Coop answered very loudly.

" Coop, I know you are upset. But I have seen you with Lizzie and you don't look like you hate her very much." Buzz said. " In fact, you look like you may have genuine feelings for her." Buzz threw in. " And, on top of everything else, I actually think you are making Lizzie become human again." Buzz finished.

" Feelings? For Lizzie?" Coop questioned. " That is absolutely ridiculous."

"I know you, Coop. And I know when you like someone, and I think you like Lizzie." Buzz insisted.

" Why are you encouraging me to have a relationship with Lizzie, who, may I remind you, is a Spaulding?" Coop asked his dad in question.

" It's true I don't like Spauldings," Buzz said. " But you are my son, and I want you to be happy. Do not let anyone tell you who to care about. That is your decision, Coop. If you want a relationship with Lizzie, than go for it. If you don't, than quit moping around and do something worthwhile." Buzz said, getting up from the chair.

" What about Frank?" Coop asked. " He is my brother, and he would flip if he caught me with Lizzie anywhere at anytime," Coop stated.

" Don't worry about your brother. I will take care of that. Besides, he is too worried about Marina getting with Danny than he is about you and Lizzie," Buzz said.

" Thanks, dad." Coop said, as his father turned and started walking out the door.

Coop realized what his father said made sense. He needed to go talk to Lizzie and listen to what she had to say. He picked up his duffel bag and headed out the door. He was going back to Company and wasn't leaving until he had a good explanation from Lizzie as to why she evicted them.

Lizzie was still sitting at the same table in Company. She had to find Coop and explain things to him. She was going to tell him the reason she evicted them and then tell them they could stay.

Lizzie got up and put on her jacket. She turned off all the lights and opened the door to find Coop standing outside. It looked like she was going to be explaining a lot sooner than she thought.

Spoilers for Chapter 3

Lizzie and Coop finally hash things out and reconnect

Frank goes ballistic

Lizzie feels a little under the weather

Down the road Spoiler

Life threatening tragedy enters the picture for Lizzie and Coop

Whitney


	3. Finally Together

Chapter 3

Coop stared at Lizzie. Lizzie stared back. There was pure silence. Finally, Coop started coming in the door, which made Lizzie back up, back into the restaurant.

"What are you still doing here?" Coop asked, as he shut the door. He put his stuff back on the ground and crossed his arms across his chest.

" What are you doing back here?" Lizzie challenged. She was actually surprised he had shown back up.

" I asked you first," Coop said.

" Well, I was just sitting here thinking, and I…" Lizzie rambled on. Coop was looking at her funny, and then gave her that famous half smile.

"What is so funny?" Lizzie asked, getting a little irritated.

" Well, it's just the first time I have ever seen you speechless, as in not saying a word," Coop stated.

" Well, well, I…" Lizzie rambled on again.

" See. That is just what I mean," Coop said, with a smug look on his face. " Do I have some sort of effect on you," Coop said, pretty sure of himself.

"No!" Lizzie said. " Just shut up! What are you doing here anyway?" Lizzie continued. " You were pretty mad when you left."

" Can you blame me?" Coop asked in surprise. " You had my family evicted from our home," Coop stated. " Was I supposed to be happy?"

" It's your fault I evicted you." Lizzie said.

" What are you talking about?" Coop asked. " I didn't do anything to you except turn your offer to turn me into a Spaulding down," Coop said.

" What?" Lizzie asked in disbelief. " Turn you Spaulding?"

" Why else would you lie about my experience in the restaurant business?" Coop asked. " You lied to that guy's face, Lizzie." Coop finished.

" You don't even know what you're talking about. I was not trying to turn you Spaulding." Lizzie said. " I was trying to show my appreciation."

" Appreciation?" Coop said, surprisingly. " What did I do to deserve your appreciation?"

Lizzie walked behind the counter of the restaurant, then back out in front of the counter. She paced around the restaurant for a few minutes.

" Lizzie, are you going to tell me or not?" Coop asked, getting a little impatient. " You have paced this restaurant for the last three minutes and you're starting to make me dizzy.

Lizzie finally sat down on one of the counter bar stools. " I know what you did," Lizzie said in a soft tone.

" What I did?" Coop asked, finally calming down. He sat down on the stool beside of her, and asked, " I'm not sure I understand what you're talking about."

" I know the reason that you threw Tyler out of here the other night." Lizzie answered. " I know he was two-timing me with the waitress that works here." Lizzie finished.

" Who told you?" Coop asked.

" She did." Lizzie answered.

Coop was silent for a minute. Then he spoke. " You know, I never meant for you to find out about that. That guy was a jerk. He was going to hurt you, so I just lost it." Coop finished.

Lizzie wasn't sure, but it almost sounded as if he cared.

" Why did you care that he would hurt me?" Lizzie asked. She was dying to know. " I mean, it's not like we were ever together or anything."

Coop took a deep breath and decided honesty was the best policy.

"Look, after I took that piece of glass out of your room and gave it to Gus, and then you fell apart on the stand, I blamed myself." Coop said. " I saw how bad that guy hurt you, and I finally saw that you are not that cold monster everyone else sees you to be. I saw that you do have feelings. Then I saw Tyler two-timing you the other night, and I just couldn't let him hurt you like that again." Coop finished.

He finally stopped talking and looked at Lizzie's reaction. She was just sitting there, with a kind of blank expression. Then she shifted and sort of smiled.

" Well, just so you know, I only brought Tyler to Company so that you would get jealous," Lizzie finally admitted.

" Well, for what it's worth, your plan worked," Coop shot back. " I was jealous. I mean, I knew we couldn't be together, but I still didn't want to see you with anyone else." Coop said.

" I felt the same way," Lizzie said. "But there is something else you should know. You are wanting to know why I lied to the guy that was here the other day, well I knew my grandfather wouldn't approve of me, you know, dating you. So after an inspiring talk with Alex, I decided to try and make you into the guy my grandfather would like." Lizzie said. " But if it was up to me, I would like you the way you are." Lizzie finished.

Coop was silent for a while. Then he finally spoke. " Why didn't you just tell me that earlier? Then it wouldn't have come to this." Coop said.

" Look, about the eviction thing, I'm sorry. That was really harsh and I can't even be that mean. So, look, I take it all back. You are not evicted and you are not fired." Lizzie said.

" I'm sorry that I turned you down this afternoon. I had the wrong idea about what you were doing." Coop said. " But I can't shake what I feel for you," Coop said. " I mean, you know, and I know that we are more than friends. If that kiss on the roof of the Beacon said anything, it was that." Coop finished.

" I know. But our families will never approve of us dating, or even being friends. Well, except for my Aunt Alex." Lizzie said, sadly.

" I talked to my dad, and he is okay with it. Now Frank is a different story," Coop said, laughing. Then he got serious again. " I do want a relationship with you. I never thought I would say this, you know." Coop said, in a shy, but sexy whisper.

Lizzie got up off the stool and walked behind the counter. Coop followed.

" Coop, I don't know if…" Lizzie started, feeling a little nervous.

Coop had taken another step towards her. She didn't budge. He had gotten right in front of her. He was only inches away. He was close enough to reach her, and he did. He reached up and caressed her cheek.

"Coop…" Lizzie tried to say.

She didn't know what had come over her. She was feeling something she had never felt. He kept caressing her cheek, as Lizzie reveled in his touch. He moved a little closer.

" Coop, but.." Lizzie tried again.

" Shhhh" Coop whispered, all the while getting closer.

He finally leaned down and kissed her. It was a sweet, but gentle kiss. It didn't last long. He pulled back.

" Coop, I do want to be with you, "Lizzie said, leaning her forehead against his. " I don't see how this can possibly work."

" We are going to have to hide it," Coop said. " At least from your grandfather and my brother."

" Yeah, I guess so." Lizzie said, leaning in to kiss him again.

This time the kiss was a lot longer than before. They were really going at it, when Frank opened the door, just in time to see.

Frank was furious. He saw his brother in the arms of the granddaughter of Alan Spaulding, the man who wanted to put his sister away for life. They were like in their own little world.

" Get over here," Frank yelled, finally making his way over there. He grabbed Coop by the shirt and drug him on the other side of the restaurant.

" Frank, what are you doing?" Coop asked.

" I should ask you the same thing. What the hell are you thinking? That is Alan Spaulding's granddaughter. Have you forgotten everything he has done to us?" Alan yelled.

" Frank, calm down," Coop said.

" No, Coop, you listen to me. I don't want to ever see this again." Frank yelled even louder. " You are not to see Lizzie again, is that understood?"

" Frank, you can not tell me who I can and can not date. That is my decision, not yours," Coop said, starting to get a little angry.

" Don't you even care about Harley anymore? This is your sister. That over there is a manipulative little Spaulding who will do anything to get what she wants, and I do mean anything." Frank screamed, getting all in Coop's face.

" Don't talk about her like that. Sure she made mistakes, but she is trying to make up for them." Coop said, defending Lizzie.

" Why are you defending her?" Frank said, tightening his grip on Coop's shirt. " She is a Spaulding."

" I am so sick of hearing about your Spaulding vendetta." Coop said, yelling now. " I know Alan has done some sick and twisted things to you, but that has nothing to do with Lizzie. I would appreciate it if you would leave it alone." Coop yelled.

" I am not going to rest until I see this monster out of your life, if it's the last thing I do. I watched your sister marry Alan Michael, Phillip, and almost Gus Aitoro. They were all Spauldings and they all brought her down. I will not let that happen to you. You will not get caught up in that monster's crazy psycho family. I am glad Phillip is dead so he can no longer cause damage to our family." Frank screamed. " But even his death is haunting us. He is still hurting your sister even from the grave."

Lizzie couldn't believe what she had just heard. Frank had said he was glad her father was dead. She started to shake and began to cry. She turned and ran out the door, running straight home to her room.

" Lizzie!" Coop yelled, jerking away from Franks's grip. " Look what you did. Why did you do that? I am going to tell you one more time. I will date whoever I want to. I am not some little kid who needs to be told the facts of life." Coop yelled, one last time.

He turned and went upstairs to unpack his things and hopefully talk to Lizzie the next day. He needed to smooth this over big time.

Spoilers for Chapter 4

Lizzie asks Tammy for help

Lizzie finds out some disturbing news

We find out who Phillip's killer is, but Springfield does not.

Whitney


	4. Doctor's Appointment

Chapter 4

The sun was peaking into the window of Lizzie's room at the Spaulding mansion. Lizzie was still sleeping when her grandfather, Alan, knocked on her door.

"Lizzie, sweetheart. Are you awake?" Alan asked, sounding very much too happy.

Lizzie woke up when her grandfather bellowed the question. " I am now," Lizzie responded, sitting up. She suddenly felt very dizzy, and laid back down. She had been feeling like this since last night at Company. The dizziness, shaking, and last night she had discovered she had a fever. The flu was going around the town of Springfield, so she assumed she had gotten bits and pieces of it.

Alan walked into the bedroom and shut the door behind him. " Lizzie, I am hoping that you are going to be coming with me this afternoon when I go to the courthouse." Alan said, hopefully.

Lizzie sat back up again, still feeling a little dizzy. But she decided against telling her grandfather that she was ill. She knew he had enough on his plate with her father being killed and all. " Why are you going to the courthouse?" Lizzie asked.

" The verdict is in for Harley Cooper. I have a feeling she is going to be found guilty, which we all know she is, and Gus Aitoro is going down with her." Alan stated, very sure of himself. " In fact, if I have it my way, all the Coopers are going to be out on the street with nothing at all." Alan finished. " Oh, by the way, I am very proud of you."

Lizzie was sort of looking at Alan with a blank stare.

" I guess you're wondering why?" Alan asked. " Well, your Aunt Alex told me that you evicted the Coopers from their residence. That is the first step in destroying their lives like they have ours." Alan said.

Lizzie didn't really want to join in the bashing of the Coopers. She didn't want to get on Coop's bad side again. Especially after last night. It was so perfect. After everything she had done to him, he had still gone to bat for her and defended her honor to Frank. Now it was her turn to do the same for him.

" Grandfather, do you have to continuously bash the Coopers?" Lizzie asked. " I mean, Harley is the mother of one of your grandchildren."

" Lizzie, she murdered your father. I am justified in getting revenge." Alan stated.

" You don't know that for sure. There were a lot of people mad at daddy. He was not himself. I know what it felt like, because he tried to take me with him. It was horrible." Lizzie stated. She was starting to feel a little weak and she was starting to get dizzy again. She laid back down.

Alan looked a little concerned. " Lizzie, are you okay, darling?" Alan asked, walking over a little closer to his granddaughter's bed.

" Yes, I am okay. I just think I am going to sleep for a little while longer." Lizzie said turning to lay on her side.

Alan walked back to the other side of the room, and put his hand on the doorknob. " I will send Hailey back in here to check on you in a little while." Alan said, and then walked out the door.

Lizzie quickly sat up again, feeling a lot dizzier. She needed to call someone. Someone who knew what they were talking about. She picked up the phone and called her former best friend, Tammy. They were sort of friends again, but not as close as they used to be. Not after the whole Joey thing.

Tammy arrived at the Spaulding mansion, and headed up to Lizzie's room. She hadn't heard or spoken to Lizzie since that night at Company. She wondered what she was so upset about. She knocked on Lizzie's bedroom door. Lizzie opened the door.

" Tammy, thank god you're here." Lizzie said, pulling her into the room and locking the door.

" Lizzie, what is wrong with you?" Tammy asked, a little concerned.

" Did my grandfather see you come up here?" Lizzie asked.

Tammy put her purse down on the bed, and looked at Lizzie strangely. "No, why?" Tammy asked.

" Well, I have sort of been feeling sick for a few days now." Lizzie said. " I thought I might just have the flu, because the symptoms are flu-like," she continued.

" Okay, but why did you need to tell me this?" Tammy said.

" I don't want to tell my grandfather or my mother about this," Lizzie said. " They already are dealing with so much after daddy's death. I don't want Coop to know either," Lizzie said.

" Wait a minute," Tammy said, looking intrigued. " You and Coop?"

" Okay, I know what you are thinking. Spaulding and Coopers don't mix, and I agree. But we decided to keep it on the low, so my grandfather doesn't find out." Lizzie explained. " But I don't want him to find out, because he will just be worried about me," Lizzie finished.

" Okay, but where do I come in?" Tammy asked.

" I have already made a doctor's appointment this morning. It is in an hour, and I was wondering if you are not doing anything, could you go with me?" Lizzie asked.

" Well, I don't have class until 2:00, so I guess I can come with you," Tammy answered. " Why are you so worried, anyway? I mean, it's just the doctor's office?"

" In case there is something seriously wrong with me, I want to take care of it myself. I do not want to bring down the people that I care about." Lizzie said.

Lizzie and Tammy walked into the doctor's office after the nurse had called her back.

" Well, Miss. Spaulding, it seems you are having a little health problem?" the nurse asked.

Lizzie nodded. " Yes, I think I have the flu, but I am not sure. I mean, I have been feeling dizzy, I had a fever last night, and I have been having the chills. Since those are all common symptoms of the flu, I assumed that was what I had." Lizzie finished.

" I have been looking through your charts and I have come across something very disturbing." the nurse said.

" What do you mean?" Lizzie asked.

" I don't know if I should tell you until I have had time to research it," the nurse responded.

" Just tell me, please. It can't be that bad." Lizzie said.

" Okay, it seems that you were diagnosed with Leukemia about six years ago," the nurse began.

" So, what does that have to do with this?" Lizzie asked, a little confused.

" The symptoms you have described to me, fit exactally with the symptoms for Leukemia," the nurse continued.

Lizzie turned and looked at Tammy, who looked more than a little worried. " Um, but my Leukemia went into remission, the doctors said so." Lizzie said in worry.

" Miss Spaulding, I don't want to worry you or upset you, but it is very possible your Leukemia is back." the doctor finished. " We need to do a few tests, to find out for sure. I will need to contact your parents and anyone else who should be concerned."

" No! Please, don't tell anyone. I don't want to worry them. They have enough on their plates as it is." Lizzie finished. " If what your saying is true, than I will find my own way to tell them." Lizzie said.

" Alright, Miss Spaulding, I won't say anything right now, but you need to think about what you are going to do in case this is true." she said.

The nurse walked out of the room, and Lizzie sank down further in her chair. " Oh My God, Tammy. If this is true, do you know what this will do to my grandfather and my mother?" Lizzie said, full of worry.

" Lizzie, we need to focus on the important thing here. How is this going to affect you?" Tammy asked.

" I have already been through this once before, Tammy. And it is horrible." Lizzie said.

Lizzie was scared to death. She never thought that this could happen again. She remembered all of it with such detail. She knew there was a possibility that this time she would not survive. She could die, and that scared her to death.

Across town, in a lonely Company, Alan sat in the middle of the restaurant drinking a beer. His cell phone rang.

" Hello?" Alan said, a little loudly.

" It's me. The plan is all coming together." the voice said. " Harley should be convicted anytime now," it finished. " I am waiting for my pay in this little deal."

" You will get your pay, you did a fine job." Alan said.

" If I don't get my pay, there will be some long lasting consequences for you, my friend," he said.

Alan shifted in his chair. " What do you mean?"

" Well, if you cheat me out of my check, than your precious little granddaughter and the rest of Springfield will know that you killed your own son."

Whitney

Spoilers for Chapter 5

Lizzie finds out the test results

Coop goes looking for Lizzie

Alan is in a major jam

Lizzie tries to push Coop away


	5. Leukemia

Chapter 5

Coop came down stairs from his room at Company; he had been up half the night worried about Lizzie. His attention immediately focused on his brother Frank, who at the moment was sitting at the counter reading the newspaper. There was no excuse for the way he acted last night.

Coop walked over to the counter and poured himself a cup of coffee without speaking to his brother. He was waiting for the apology.

" Morning, Coop" Frank said without looking up from his newspaper.

Coop continued to ignore his brother. Frank finally put his newspaper down and stared at Coop.

" I said, Good Morning Coop" Frank said again a little louder. " Are you still mad about last night?'

" What could I possibly have to be mad about?" Coop said sarcastically, and then started to walk out the front door.

Frank got up and grabbed him by the arm a little too hard and Coop spilled his whole cup of coffee on himself and Frank.

" What the hell was that for?" Frank said, angrily.

" It wasn't my fault," Coop stated. " You jerked my arm, and it wasn't the first time. Gee, I wonder when you did that before? Oh yeah. Last night" Coop finished.

Frank was getting a little irritated with his younger brother. It was obvious the reason he was acting this way. It was because of Lizzie. Lizzie Spaulding. SPAULDING! The mere mention of that word made his skin crawl. And his brother was mesmerized with the youngest generation who was a monster in the making.

" Coop, I hope you understand why I did what I did last. I was only watching out for your best interests." Frank said, calming down a little bit.

" Understand?" Coop questioned. " I understand that you hate the Spualdings, and that is understandable, but you have a beef with Alan and Phillip, not Lizzie. She has no control over what her grandfather does." Coop said, defending the blond heiress.

Frank's blood was boiling. Coop would just never get it. " Are you forgetting everything she has done to us? She stole this restaurant out from under us and now she has evicted us from the boarding house. How can you defend her?" Frank finished.

Coop was starting to get irritated with his brother. " Look, Frank, if you want to hate Lizzie, than fine go ahead, but don't expect me to follow you. I am old enough to make my own decisions and I am not always going to agree with you. Now you need to accept it and move on." Coop said.

" Coop, Lizzie is a carbon copy of her father. Phillip Spaulding was an out of control man when he died. And Harley is on trial for killing him, which she didn't do. I am not convinced that Lizzie is not the killer. Even though she is cleared, she is so clever she could find a way to get away with it. She got away with everything else she ever did." Frank said.

Coop had had just about enough. " Lizzie did not kill her father, Frank. I am one hundred percent positive of that. She loved her father with all of her heart. I have witnessed that. So don't bring that up again." Coop said. " Now I am going to tell you one last time, Frank. I appreciate that you are looking out for me, I really do, but I can take care of myself. I do care what happens to you and Harley because I love both of you. But I want you to lay off of Lizzie. She has already agreed to let us stay in the boarding house. I am going to go find her and try to undo the damage that you have caused. I will see you later." Coop finished as he walked over to the door, grabbed his coat, and walked out the door.

Frank would never let this relationship take flight. He would end it before it even grew wings. That was a promise.

Lizzie was sitting in the hospital bed at the hospital waiting on the results of her multiple tests. Tammy was sitting in one of the chairs along the back of the room, half asleep. They had been sitting there alone for about an hour and a half now. Finally the doctor came in with her clipboard and apparently the results of her tests.

Lizzie tried to sit up, but she felt a little dizzy, so she laid back down. " What do they say, Doctor Harris." Lizzie asked.

" Would you like for me to tell you in private?" Dr. Harris asked, looking back at Tammy.

" Oh, I can leave if you want me to, Lizzie. After all, this isn't any of my business." Tammy declared.

Lizzie looked back at Tammy and said, "Tams, if you don't mind, I could really use a friend right now, and I am hoping that you will stay in here when she reads me the results."

Tammy got up and walked over to her bed and sat down beside her. " Sure. Whatever I can do." Tammy said, supportively.

" Alright Miss Spaulding. I have read your results and I am sorry to inform you that my suspicions were correct. Your Leukemia has made way back to your body." Dr. Harris said.

Lizzie sunk down even further. She felt Tammy squeeze her hand a little bit. It felt good to just have someone there with her. " Oh My God" Lizzie said, in shock.

" I am just going to give you a short lecture about Leukemia. I am sure you don't remember anything about it from the last time you were diagnosed." Dr. Harris said.

" Alright" Lizzie said, nearing tears. How could this be? Last night, when she had made up with Coop, and they had had another one of those breath taking kisses, she didn't think anything could ruin that. She honestly thought that she could be happy. Some joke. God just wasn't that generous. But what could she expect? Her whole life she had been nothing but trouble.

Dr. Harris was sitting on the other side of Lizzie, preparing to tell her about her disease, which should be very familiar to her.

"Lizzie, as you probably already know, Leukemia is cancer of the white blood cells. In your case, the organ infected would be your bone marrow." Dr. Harris said. " In the situation of curing, you may need a bone marrow transplant. Most likely a family member would be your closest match, but anyone will do if they are a match. Another option, which we will try first most definitely, is chemotherapy." Dr. Harris finished.

Lizzie was well aware of what chemotherapy was, but she needed to hear everything. " Could you explain to me what chemotherapy is? I mean the type of chemo I will be getting, or the ones that are available?" Lizzie clarified.

" Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to kill cancer cells. Depending on the type of leukemia, patients may receive a single drug or a combination of two or more drugs." Dr. Harris stated. " Most likely we will give you the treatment through an IV, but if the chemo is available by mouth, then we will give it to you that way." she finished.

Tammy was still holding her hand, and looking at her a little scared. " I am just curious, Dr. Harris, what is the plan for chemotherapy? I mean how do you give it, like what time period, and how much room is left for recovery?" Tammy asked, hoping Lizzie didn't mind.

"Chemotherapy is given in cycles: a treatment period followed by a recovery period, then another treatment period, and so on." Dr. Harris answered. "In some cases, the patient has chemotherapy as an outpatient at the hospital, at the doctor's office, or at home. However, depending on which drugs are given and the patient's general health, a hospital stay may be necessary." Dr. Harris said.

Lizzie was just sort of lying there letting it all soak in. This was so much to take in. But she was determined to be brave. " Am I going to have to have a hospital stay?" Lizzie asked.

" We won't know until we get started with chemotherapy and see how far the cancer has spread," she answered. " If we do a bone marrow transplant than you will be required to stay in the hospital for several weeks," she finished.

Lizzie was speechless and scared.

Dr. Harris continued, "The patient's leukemia-producing bone marrow is destroyed by high doses of drugs and radiation and is then replaced by healthy bone marrow. The healthy bone marrow may come from a donor, or it may be marrow that has been removed from the patient and stored before the high-dose treatment. If the patient's own bone marrow is used, it may first be treated outside the body to remove leukemia cells. Patients who have a bone marrow transplant usually stay in the hospital for several weeks. Until the transplanted bone marrow begins to produce enough white blood cells, patients have to be carefully protected from infection."

Lizzie didn't say anything at all.

Dr. Harris said, " I'm sure you know the down side to chemotherapy. Your hair will fall out, but that is a mere problem compared to Leukemia. I am going to need to contact your parents or guardian."

" No, I have already told you. I am going to tell them on my own terms." Lizzie said, grasping onto her hair, stroking it and trying hard not to cry. Her hair, her beautiful shiny hair she worked so hard on every morning to make pretty.

" Alright, Miss Spaulding. I will let you tell them. But we need to get started on your chemotherapy as soon as possible. I am going to go ahead and make you an appointment for sometime this week." Dr. Harris finished. " I am very sorry," she finished.

Dr. Harris walked out the door, and Lizzie was just laying there so surprised and shocked.

" Lizzie, are you going to tell your mother or grandfather?" Tammy asked.

" Not right now. I don't want to worry them," Lizzie said. " But I am begging you not to say anything. And especially do not tell Coop," she demanded.

" Why?" Tammy asked.

" He will want to stay and help me get through this. I have to make him move on and find someone who deserves him and not someone who is just going to die on him" Lizzie finished.

Alan was still stewing over that telephone call he had received. How dare that guy. If he had to off him as well, he would. He had had no choice but to kill Phillip. He had threatened to take over Spaulding Enterprises and kick him out completely. If Lizzie found out, she would never understand. He needed some help to eliminate this guy.

Alan got on his cell phone and called his ally in this whole scam.

On the other side of the country a man's cell phone rang. He picked it up.

" Hello?" he said.

" Alan- Michael, it's dad. We have a major problem," Alan said.

Coop had finally found Lizzie. She was back working at Company, which was all she ever did. He so wanted to apologize to her for everything Frank had said.

" Lizzie, hey," Coop said.

" Hey" Lizzie said a little coolly.

She did not sound like herself. " Is something wrong?" Coop asked.

" Why would you ask that?" Lizzie said.

" You just aren't acting like yourself." Coop said.

Lizzie knew she had to be cruel to be kind, so she had to say this.

" Coop, look, last night, and what happened, it was a temporary brain freeze. I don't know what I was thinking. I had a major mental lapse. There is no us. There never will be." Lizzie finished, and started to walk away from him.

Coop grabbed her by the arm, and Lizzie swung back around.

" You're not going anywhere, until you tell me what is going on." Coop demanded.

"I already told you. What more of an explanation do you need?" Lizzie asked.

" I am not buying anything that you are saying, so you better tell me now what this is all about!" Coop stated.

Whitney

Spoilers For Chapter 6

Lizzie manages to keep her secret from Coop

Coop decides not to give up on Lizzie and vows to find out her secret

Alan Senior and Alan Jr. come up with an even bigger plan to cover their butts

Lillian comes close to uncovering Lizzie's secret


	6. Secret Almost Discovered

Chapter 6

Coop was still in Lizzie's face. He wouldn't leave, and he wasn't going to until she came up with a fast cover-up for her Leukemia. She hated lying to him, but she had to, for his own good.

Coop was standing there waiting for an explanation. "Lizzie, are you going to tell me or not?" he asked, a little impatiently.

" I have already told you everything. I said..." Lizzie started, but Coop interrupted her.

" I know what you said Lizzie, but it is not the truth. There is obviously some big reason you do not want me to know something, and I want to know what it is," he stated.

Lizzie was squirming trying to come up with a lie fast enough. She shouldn't have any trouble, though. She had lied for the last few years of her life. But with Coop looking down at her with those piercing blue eyes, well let's just say it made things a lot harder.

" Coop, look," she began, sitting down at one of the tables, " I think you should go be with your family instead of me. Harley could be convicted any minute," she finished.

Coop looked down, knowing she was right. He did need to be with his family at a time like this. He shouldn't be butting into Lizzie's life, at least not now. There was plenty of time for that later.

" You win. For now," Coop said, standing up and grabbing his coat. "But this conversation is not over."

Coop walked over to the far side of the room and went out the door. Lizzie sunk down in her seat. She hated what she had just done. She wanted to tell him, she honestly did. But she knew he would want to stand by her and fight the whole thing with her, and she knew that wasn't possible. She couldn't stand for him to be there watching the whole time her hair was falling out and she would just become weaker and weaker. She had to cut him loose, so he could move on and forget about her.

Coop had just arrived at the court house, when he saw his father and brother come out of the room looking devastated. Then Gus came out, with the same look. He knew things had not gone well.

" Coop, where the hell have you been?" Frank yelled, grabbing his shirt, as usual.

" Frank, calm down, I was just talking to Lizzie for a second. Chill out," Coop said, jerking away from Frank.

Frank tightened his grip on Coop's shirt. " What? You were spending time with Lizzie? While your sister just got life in prison, you were spending time talking to Lizzie SPAULDING?" Frank yelled.

" She got convicted?" Coop asked in surprise.

" Oh, like you give a damn," Frank said, finally letting go of Coop's shirt.

" What are you talking about? I just talked to Lizzie; there was nothing else going on, Frank. And yes I do give a damn about Harley getting convicted. How can you say that?" Coop said.

" I told you this morning not to ever see her again, in that way," Frank said.

" Well, like I told you this morning, I don't have to listen to what you say or agree with you" Coop shot back.

It was at that moment that Coop realized that he needed to stay committed to Lizzie. He needed to find out what was bothering her and help her through it.

Alan was waiting on the other end of the phone to hear what his son had to say.

" Alan Michael?" Alan said, making sure he was still there.

" Yeah, dad. I'm still here. This is quite a situation you have put me in this time," Alan Michael said.

" What?" Alan asked in disbelief.

" Well, when you told me of this plan to rid Spaulding Enterprises of Phillip, the golden boy, I was very enticed, indeed. But now that you are telling me that we need to rid of the other guy mixed up in this mess, I am a little angry." Alan Michael stated.

" Don't you remember what I told you?" Alan said. " If you helped me rid the company of Phillip, I would put you in the top spot at Spaulding. That offer still goes." Alan said.

" Well, when you put it that way…" Alan Michael said. " We get rid of the guy, but then what?"

" We plant more evidence against Harley. That way we can make sure she never gets out of jail and at least one of the Coopers will be paying for their mistakes." Alan said.

" Sounds good. I will be down in a few days to get the arrangements made." Alan Michael said, and then hung up the phone.

Alan smiled to himself. His plan was coming together. This was going to be a lesson the Coopers would never forget.

Lizzie had gotten a call from her doctor's office and they had told her they had transferred her files to the local hospital, and for her to go down there for her appointment that afternoon. It was still a little early so she decided to take a nap.

Lillian was making her rounds at the hospital when she came across some visitors at the front desk.

" Can I help you?" she asked.

" Yes, we are looking for the rehab floor." the woman said.

" That is the fifth floor, mam." Lillian responded.

As the couple walked away, Lillian decided to check the incoming files that the hospital had received for that day. She picked up several files and flipped through them to see if any of them related to her patients. She got to the last one and looked at the name. It said E. Spaulding. Lillian was very curious.

" E. Spaulding? Elizabeth Spaulding? Why would she have a file coming into the hospital?" Lillian asked herself.

Lillian started opening the envelope to find out what was going on.

Whitney

Spoilers for Chapter 7

Will Lillian read the results?

Tammy plays a huge role in keeping Lizzie's secret from Lillian

Coop comes up with a plan to get Lizzie's secret out of her

Lizzie still manages to keep her secret under wraps- for now

Alan's plan is starting to dissolve when someone betrays him


	7. Coop's Plan

Chapter 7

Tammy was supposed to meet Lizzie at the hospital for her appointment that afternoon. She rounded the corner and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Lillian looking through faxes. She knew Lizzie's was in there, so she had to think fast. She pretended to slip and fall and get hurt.

" Ow," Tammy yelled, landing on the floor. She was making a much bigger deal and a huge scene.

Lillian dropped the file and ran over to Tammy, looking concerned. "Sweetheart, are you okay?" she asked kneeling down to check her legs.

" I think I sprained my ankle", she said, putting on a good show.

" We had better get you in there and check you out, Tammy," Lillian requested.

At about that time, Lizzie walked in and noticed Tammy was being taken to a room on a stretcher. Tammy didn't look hurt at all. She mouthed two words to Lizzie. "Files" and " Desk". She didn't get it at first.

" Files and desk?" Lizzie thought. " What does that mean?" Lizzie went over to the front desk and made sure no one was looking, and then picked up some files. " Lewis, Smith, Spaulding, Landon," Lizzie stopped. She went back on file and looked at it again. " Spaulding. E. Spaulding," Lizzie repeated. Then she realized what Tammy had done. She had totally faked the whole knee injury so that her grandmother wouldn't read her file. After everything she had done to Tammy, Lizzie couldn't believe she would do this for her.

Lizzie picked up her file and records and went to sit in the waiting room.

Coop was still on duty at Company for about another half an hour, but he had been distracted all day. He knew Lizzie was not telling him the truth, and he didn't know why. He thought she trusted him, at least enough to be honest with him. He was so busy in thought, he didn't notice that his father had walked up behind him.

"Coop," Buzz said, preparing to ask his son what he was doing after work.

" Coop!" Buzz said, a little louder.

Finally Coop turned around and saw his father. " Hey dad. What's up?" Coop asked.

" You looked pretty busy in thought, son. What's up with you?" Buzz asked, a little curious as to what had his son so distracted.

" Okay, you know how you told me to go for it with Lizzie?" Coop asked. " Well, I did, and we sort of decided to try our relationship. That is until Frank walked in and ruined everything, but that is beside the point." Coop continued. " Anyway, I came back to see Lizzie again yesterday, and she kind of blew me off. I know something is bothering her and she will not tell me. She is just acting weird. Especially weird, even for Lizzie." Coop finished.

He checked out his dad's reaction. He knew he could talk to his dad about this because he knew Spaulding women well. He had dated Alexandra on and off for many years. In fact, he was dating her now.

" Coop, do you want a relationship with Lizzie?" Buzz asked.

" Yes, but she is making it very difficult." Coop responded.

" Son, you can not give up on her. If you give up on a woman who keeps secrets from you, you might as well give up on all women, because they all do it." Buzz said, making a joke.

" I guess that's true. But I wish there was some way for me to get Lizzie to spill her guts. I mean it can't be that bad, right." Coop said.

" I do have a few tricks up my sleeve that may help you," Buzz said, sitting up in his chair.

" Well, what is it? I am open to anything." Coop said, looking very interested all of a sudden.

" You want her to spill, right? So you act like this secret she is keeping doesn't bother you. Pretend like you don't even remember she mentioned it. Just go on and forget about the whole thing." Buzz suggested.

" Okay, but that will not accomplish what I want. What I want is for her to come clean and tell me what is bothering her. If I pretend like I don't care, she will not tell me what it is." Coop said, a little confused.

Buzz sighed, and looked at his son, " Coop, believe me, this will work if you play it right. Women can not stand it when they throw something out there at us and we pretend like it doesn't bother us. Remember, there is a reason why they tell us this stuff. To make us wonder. Then after we have wallowed enough, they will finally tell us." Buzz continued. " But if you pretend like you don't care, they will crack a lot faster," he finished.

Coop realized what his father said did make sense after all. If Lizzie wanted him to wallow and drive himself crazy in this secret, she wasn't going to get it. He was going to pretend like he didn't care, even though it was driving him crazy.

Lizzie was standing outside Company, looking through the window. She saw Coop sitting with his father and they looked very deep in conversation. She had dreaded coming to work today because Coop was going to be on her case all day until he managed to get this secret out of her. She was prepared. But since he was sitting with his father, maybe he wouldn't see her at all.

She opened the door and walked in. Coop did look up and see her. " Great. Here it comes," Lizzie thought.

But Coop looked away from her and back to his father. " Remember, Coop, play it cool and don't mention the secret," Buzz said, getting up and walking back behind the counter.

Coop got up and walked over to Lizzie. " Hey Lizzie," Coop said, smiling at her.

" Hey." Lizzie replied, putting her coat and purse down. She started to walk away to the back of the restaurant when Coop grabbed her arm.

" What?" Lizzie asked, turning around. " I was wondering if you wanted to do something tonight?" Coop asked.

Lizzie was curious about what he meant, and god knew she wanted to go with him, more than anything, but she knew she couldn't. She couldn't drag him down with her on this downward spiral to death.

" I thought I made myself clear yesterday, Coop." Lizzie said, trying her best to sound cold hearted.

" I know what you said, but I am still not buying it." Coop said.

Lizzie was wondering why he hadn't mentioned the secret or asked her for the millionth time what was bothering her. He was acting like it didn't bother him, and she knew it did. It was driving him crazy. Then a light bulb went off in her head. He was putting on an act. He was trying to get her to slip and reveal her secret. She was going to beat him at his own little game.

" Okay. We can go out tonight. Where are we going?" Lizzie said, her voice turning sweet again.

Now Coop was confused. She actually agreed to go out with him. His father's plan was not working out as he had hoped. She was not going to crack with this secret.

" Well, I was thinking that we could go to dinner or something." Coop said, saying something off the top of his head.

"Cool. That sounds great. Where are we going? I need to know how to dress. What should I wear?"

" Wear as little as possible," he let slip out.

He realized what he had said, but not before Lizzie did. " What did you say?" Lizzie asked, looking a little amused.

" I said, wear whatever you like," Coop said, trying to cover up his sentence.

" Okay," Lizzie said, still smiling. He knew she didn't believe him. " Well, I had better get going. I have to go home and get ready for our big date tonight," Lizzie said.

" Okay, can't wait," Coop said, as Lizzie walked away.

" Damn it," Coop said. The plan had not worked. She probably had figured out what he was doing. She was pretty smart about stuff like that. Oh well, he had plenty of time tonight to figure out how to get it out of her.

Lizzie was outside Company, watching Coop. " Henry, Henry, Henry," Lizzie said, to herself. " You should never try to underestimate me." Even thought she was glad to beat Coop at his own game, she was psyched to be going on an actual date with him. Then the horrible truth came crashing back down on her. The leukemia wasn't going away. Tonight was going to be the night she had to say goodbye to him once and for all.

Across the country, Alan Michael was sitting outside his house talking on the phone.

" Dad, I know what I have to do next." Alan Michael said, talking to Alan.

" Alan Michael, I know once this is all over, you will make a fine replacement for Phillip at Spaulding Enterprises." Alan said.

Alan Michael hung up the phone, sighing. Just then his wife, Lucy, came outside and brought him some lemonade.

" Thank you, sweetheart." Alan Michael said.

" Was that your father again?" Lucy said.

" Yeah. He will not give up." Alan Michael said, putting his glass of lemonade back down on the table.

" So are you going to continue to lie to him? Are you going to pretend you are helping him?" Lucy asked, very concerned for her husband's safety.

" Luce, I am trying to end all of this hatred between our two families. He had already sent Harley to jail for killing Phillip, when he did the ugly deed himself. He destroyed Phillip, my brother Gus lost Harley because of him." He continued. " My whole life he tried to control me and turn me into a mini him, and it would have worked, but luckily you came into my life and made me see the Coopers in a whole new light." He finished.

" So what are you going to do?" Lucy asked.

" I am going to teach my father a lesson he will never forget. This fighting between him and the Coopers is going to end as soon as possible. I can promise you that." Alan Michael said.

Alan knew his plan was coming together. When this all worked out, Lizzie wouldn't want anything to do with Coop and Alex wouldn't want anything to do with Buzz. He had to protect his family. Most importantly, he could keep Harley Cooper from becoming his daughter-in-law for the third time. He knew he could count on his son for help. This was coming together better than he ever expected.

Spoilers for Chapter 8

Coop comes to the wrong conclusion regarding Lizzie's secret, which forces Lizzie to admit the truth

Alan begins the next step of his plot, as Alan Michael begins the first step to taking down his father

Coming in the Future

Coop promises Lizzie that he will stand by her

Lizzie's family is still in the dark about her condition and will be for a long while

Coop finds out the truth about Alan, but is skeptical on whether to tell Lizzie

Whitney


	8. Truth Comes Out

Chapter 8

Coop was preparing for his date with Lizzie, which was in about an hour. She was supposed to come to Company after closing hours, but he had decided he was going to surprise her and climb up the ladder to her room, like old times, and get her from the Spaulding mansion.

As he was buttoning up his shirt, Frank walked into the upstairs apartment with an angry scowl on his face. Coop knew something was wrong with him and he hoped that he didn't find out about his date with Lizzie for that very night.

"Hey bro, what's up?" Coop asked, trying to thaw his mood.

" Nothing except those damn Spauldings. They think they are so much higher than us," Frank mumbled.

Coop figured he had had a confrontation with a Spaulding just recently, and if he had to take a guess, he would say it was Alan.

" So, which Spaulding did you get into it with this time?" Coop asked.

" Alan. There are no words to describe how much I despise him. I almost wish Phillip was still alive. At least Harley wouldn't be on trial and as much as I hate to admit it, Phillip was a prince compared to his father." Frank continued. " Now remind you, I said ALMOST," he finished.

Coop mentally gave himself a check for being right on the money about Alan. " So what did you two fight about this time?" Coop asked.

" The usual. We, the Coopers, are responsible for Phillips demise." Frank said.

Frank finally noticed that Coop was dressed up for some special occasion. " So, Coop, going on a hot date tonight?" Frank asked.

Coop got a little red, but continued to play it cool. " Yeah. Got a date with one of the waitresses at the restaurant." Coop said, hoping his brother bought it.

" Well, have a good time. At least you have finally given up on Lizzie. I swear, I don't know what you were thinking when you were fooling around with her," Frank said.

Coop was getting a little irritated with his brother. As much as he himself disliked the Spauldings, Lizzie and Gus were the only exceptions. He liked Gus because he knew that Gus loved Harley with every fiber of his being. And Lizzie, well, he hated her one minute and liked her the next, and finally the liking won out.

" Well, Frank, if you don't mind, I think I am going to get going. Don't want to leave my date hanging." Coop said grabbing his jacket and heading out the door before his brother could get another smart comment in.

Lizzie was in the midst of getting ready for her first and last date with Coop when her phone rang. She checked the caller ID and it was Tammy.

" Hey, Tams," Lizzie said, painting her nails with one hand, while using the other hand to balance the phone under her ear.

" Hey Lizzie. What are you doing?" Tammy asked.

" Well, I am in the middle of getting ready for my date with Coop tonight," Lizzie said. " But then you called, so I am kind of doing both," she finished.

" Wait a minute. You and Coop? Going out on a date?" Tammy questioned. " When did this happen? Yesterday you were determined never to see him again," she finished.

" Look, Tammy, I am going on my first date with Coop which is something that, well let's face it, I have been wanting to do for like forever. But this is also going to be my last date with him." Lizzie said, putting the lid back on the pink nail polish and finally using her hand to hold the phone.

" So, are you going to tell him tonight?" Tammy asked, hoping her friend would do the right thing.

Lizzie had climbed onto her bed and laid back against the pillows. " Tammy, he can not know. He will want to stand by me and help me through this. If I wanted that for him, then I would have told him a long time ago." Lizzie said, blowing on her nails, trying to dry them.

" Look, Lizzie, I want you to understand this situation from a guys point of view. So I want you to talk to Sandy. He's right here, and I will warn you, he already agrees with me." Tammy said, handing the phone to Sandy.

" Lizzie?" Sandy said, grabbing the phone from Tammy.

" Hey Sandy. I'm sure Tammy has filled you in on the situation. I trust you because we were friends once upon a time and I know you will not tell anyone, especially Coop." Lizzie said.

Coop had arrived at the Spaulding mansion about half an hour early, but he just couldn't wait to see her. Sure enough the ladder was outside the house and headed straight up to her bedroom. He started the climb up to her window. As he continued to climb, he got closer to her window and room. He could hear her talking to someone. He got up to the window and looked in, careful so that she would not see him. Her voice was loud and clear.

" No, Sandy. I have not told him yet. If I tell him this it will break his heart," Lizzie stated, trying to make Sandy understand that if she told Coop about her cancer, she would drag him down with her.

" Lizzie, if I was your boyfriend, and I was in this situation, you better believe I would want you to tell me," Sandy said, trying to change her mind.

Coop was listening. She was talking to Sandy, her best friends boyfriend. He continued listening. He felt guilty, but he was very curious.

" Sandy, I can not tell Coop, okay. I will not hurt him like this. I have to let him down gently tonight after our date," Lizzie said.

Coop suddenly froze. He knew what her secret was. She was dating Sandy on the sly and hadn't even bothered to tell him about it. He was furious. He was not going to be played, especially by Lizzie Spaulding. He started banging on the window, and Lizzie turned around and saw him in mid sentence.

" Um, Sandy. I gotta go. Coop's here." Lizzie said, hanging up the phone and running over to the window.

" What is wrong with you?" Lizzie said to Coop, opening the window.

Coop jumped in her room and slammed the window shut. " What is wrong with me? I'll tell you what's wrong with me. I know all about your little secret, and to think, it had me all concerned like something was wrong with you." Coop yelled very meanly.

Lizzie was a little taken back. How had he found out about this? He didn't act very concerned and that bothered her a lot.

"Coop, how did you find out?" Lizzie asked.

" Come on Lizzie, I was coming up here to surprise you for our first date…" Coop started but then got interrupted.

" But we were supposed to meet at Company. I never expected you to show up here." Lizzie stated.

" Oh, I bet you didn't. Then you wouldn't have been on the phone with lover boy when I showed up to pick you up, would you?" Coop yelled.

Lizzie realized Coop had gotten the wrong idea about this whole thing. It was sort of a relief, but then she realized he thought she was cheating on him and using him.

" Coop, I was just talking to Sandy," Lizzie said, trying to explain.

" Yeah, I know that, Lizzie. But you know the worst thing about that? Sandy happens to be your best friend's boyfriend. After you two started being friends again, I thought you had learned your lesson, but I was wrong about you as usual, I think that makes about the hundredth time I have been wrong about you. You think I would have learned by now the type of person you are." Coop rambled on, yelling at her the whole time.

Lizzie was totally speechless. She had never seen Coop like this before. He was so mad his face was turning red. " Coop, if you would just listen, I can explain.." Lizzie started to speak again, but Coop interrupted her, still yelling.

" I don't want your lame excuses anymore, Lizzie. You were using me this whole time, and to tell you the truth, it's a huge relief that I found out. Now I won't be wasting my valuable time on a selfish, scheming, lying, no good Spaulding that my brother warned me about." Coop finished, finally glad that he got that off of his chest.

Lizzie was shaking now and crying. He was being so mean to her. He had the whole thing wrong. She knew now she had to tell him the truth. She couldn't take anymore emotional beating.

" Coop, you have this all wrong, would you please just listen?" Lizzie said.

Coop was pacing around the room, and when he stopped, he still wasn't through with the yelling. " I am through listening to you, Lizzie. I am so sick of trying to find the good in you, when the truth is, there is none. You are a cold hearted monster and I haven't seen anyone like you since your father.." Coop was yelling and rambling on so long now he didn't even know what he was saying.

" Shut up! Just shut the hell up!" Lizzie screamed, with tears streaming down her face so hard that she couldn't even see him.

Coop immediately realized how harsh he had been with her, and he didn't know why he was reacting this way. Well, yes he did, he was jealous. He was 100 percent jealous of Lizzie's new boyfriend, because amongst all of their fights he had actually ended up liking Lizzie a lot more than he should have.

" You don't even know what you're talking about!" Lizzie said, screaming at him back. " You have no idea how much I have been through these last few days. You know nothing!" Lizzie continued screaming.

" What I do know is that you have been messing around with your best friends boyfri…" Coop was interrupted by a screaming Lizzie.

" You want to know the real secret I have been keeping? Well for your information, I have not been fooling around with Sandy Foster and I have not been cheating on you." Lizzie said, her voice getting louder and louder.

" Then what do you call it?" Coop said, getting angrier.

" Fine. My Leukemia is back! I could die in the next month or maybe two years from now, nobody knows. So There! Are you happy?" Lizzie yelled.

Alan Michael was still at his home working on his plan to take down his father. He had gotten a plan in the works.

He picked up his cell phone, and called his father.

" Hello?" Alan said, sitting in his office at Spaulding Enterprises.

" Dad, it's me, Alan Michael," he said.

" Yes, son. I have been expecting your call. Listen, I have the next step in the works." Alan said.

" Look, dad, how about you hold your plans for a while. I am coming down to Springfield in the next few days. I have got a plan that will work like a charm." Alan Michael said, biting his lip.

" Sounds perfect. This will be just like old times, son. Me and You running the business," Alan said.

" Yeah, sounds great. Listen, I gotta go. Se you in a few days," Alan Michael said, hanging up the phone.

" Lucy!" Alan Michael yelled to his wife. She came running out the front door in a hurry.

" Pack your bags, honey. We are headed to Springfield." Alan Michael said.

Spoilers For Chapter 9

Coop regrets everything he said to Lizzie once he knows the whole truth

Lizzie has an emotional breakdown, where she admits to Coop that she can not handle this by herself

Coop promises to stand by Lizzie through this as well as not tell her family about her condition

Alan Michael and Lucy arrive in Springfield a little early, so AM can get his plan started before greeting Alan

Whitney


	9. Can't Do It Alone

Chapter 9

Coop was frozen. Had those four words just come out of her mouth? Yes, he was sure they did.

" Your Leukemia is back?" he managed to squeak out, releasing a little bit of his regret for the way he had treated her.

Lizzie shuffled in place, before finally looking up at Coop and replying, " Yes. It is."

Coop felt like a ton of bricks had just been thrown at him. This was overwhelming horrible news. Possibly the most horrible news that he could have gotten. Lizzie's Leukemia was back. But what did that mean?

" Look, Coop, You don't have to feel bad for what you said, okay? I mean I probably did deserve it for all the horrible things I have done in my life." Lizzie said, looking up at Coop.

" No, Lizzie. No one deserves this. Especially not you." Coop said, moving towards her a little more.

Lizzie noticed the closeness, but decided it was okay. " Why? Why would you say that? You hate me. You just got finished telling me exactly what you thought of me. And like I said, you don't have to apologize, it's really okay," she responded.

" No, Lizzie, it's not okay. I said some stuff to you that was completely out of line, even if you really were seeing another guy," Coop started. " I don't know why I acted the way I did. I guess it was just the rush of the moment and I was furious. I am really, really sorry. You did not deserve to be treated that way." Coop finished, looking at Lizzie.

Lizzie looked back at Coop. " It's okay, you're forgiven. This time." Lizzie said with a smile.

There was so much that Coop wanted to ask her. Like how long had she known? What could she do to win this battle, or never ending battle in her case?

Lizzie noticed that Coop was in deep thought, and guessed that he wanted to ask her about this whole thing.

" Coop?" Lizzie asked.

" What?" Coop responded.

" If you want to ask me, then just go ahead. It's okay. I am used to talking about it." Lizzie said.

Coop looked at her wondering how she could be so brave about something this terrible. She was actually smiling. How did she do it?

" I don't want to upset you," Coop said, " But, how long have you known about this?" he finished.

" Well, I had a sneaking suspicion that something wasn't right with me for a long time, so I went to the doctor's office for a visit, and took Tammy with me. And I found out from Dr. Harris that I had Leukemia again. That was about three weeks ago." Lizzie said, feeling all of the pain coming back from that moment.

Coop noticed that Lizzie had tensed up. He knew this must have been upsetting her, so he decided to change the subject.

" Lizzie, I think it would be best if we just canned this whole conversation, for now, until you are up for it." Coop said.

Lizzie looked up at him again. " Coop, really, I am okay. It really helps to talk to someone about it." Lizzie said.

" Well, okay, if you're sure." Coop said, " I do have another question for you. Who knows about this? I am assuming that you told Alan and your mother at least?" Coop asked.

" Only Tammy, Sandy, and you know about this, and that is the way I would like to keep it." Lizzie said.

" Lizzie, you have to tell your family. I mean, they deserve to know." Coop said.

Lizzie was fidgeting again, because she knew he was right, but they couldn't know. They just couldn't.

" Coop, my grandfather is so upset over my father's death, I don't want to spring this little problem up in his face at the same time. And my mom, well, let's just say, I don't think she can take this again. At least not right now." Lizzie finished.

Coop was listening to her reasoning, and it did make sense, but he knew how upset her family would be if they didn't know.

" Lizzie, I really think you should reevaluate the solution…" Coop began, before Lizzie interrupted him.

" Coop, I am telling you right here, right now, I can not tell them. Not right now." Lizzie stated, somewhat angry.

Coop knew he needed to calm her down, so he told her that he would keep the secret.

" Lizzie, I promise, they will not hear it from me," Coop said, making a promise that he fully intended to keep.

" Really? You won't say anything? Even though you have the biggest conscious in the whole town of Springfield?" Lizzie said, joking.

" If it means that much to you, then yes, I will keep it a secret," Coop said.

" Thank you." Lizzie said, smiling.

" How can you keep doing that?" Coop asked, suddenly.

" Do what?" Lizzie asked, in surprise.

" Keep smiling like that after everything that has happened. You have been through so much with your father being murdered, going through Carl's murder again on the stand, then you find out you have cancer again. I couldn't handle it. How do you do it?" Coop asked.

Lizzie was quiet for a moment, and then finally spoke. " It's easy when you don't have someone who loves you." Lizzie said, sitting down on the edge of her bed.

" What?" Coop said, sitting down beside of her. " What do you mean? Your mother loves you and your Aunt Alex and of course your overbearing grandfather, The Alan Spaulding," Coop said.

" Yeah, they care about me. They don't love me. Not like my father did. The one person who truly loved me is dead. Buried underground." Lizzie said, starting to tear up.

Lizzie scooted further back onto the bed.

Coop was still sitting on the edge, but looked back at her and said, " They do love you, Lizzie," Coop said.

" You know, when I had Leukemia the first time, I remember it being so bad. I remember all the pain and heartache that it caused my family. But the weirdest thing is, I remember, when I stopped breathing, I saw this bright yellow light and I was being pulled towards it. Then it just disappeared, and the next thing I knew I was waking up in my bed at the mansion, and my daddy was beside of me, begging me not to die on him. I remember that like it was yesterday." Lizzie said, finishing her story, and then finally bursting into tears.

Coop gently scooted back until he was beside of her, and then put his arms around her and just let her cry her heart out.

" Coop, I don't know how I am going to do this without my daddy. I can't do this alone. I can't take this chemotherapy and let everyone I love see me get weaker and weaker, and all the while, handfuls of hair will be coming out everyday. Sometimes I just feel like it would be better, the world would be better off, if I just died." Lizzie said, wiping her tears away from her face, but it did no good because more just continued to fall.

Lizzie laid her head on Coop's shoulder, as he continued to hold her.

" Lizzie, you don't have to go through this alone. You don't. I am going to stay by your side the whole time and I am going to fight this cancer right along with you. We are going to do this together." Coop promised her again.

Lizzie raised her head up. " Do you really mean that?" Lizzie asked.

Coop pulled a strand of her hair out of her face and wiped away a stray tear that was falling down her face. " Yes. I mean that. More than anything I have ever said to you." Coop stated.

Lizzie was feeling a little better. " As long as I have you, I will be okay. Thank you for everything." Lizzie said, starting to cry again.

Coop put his arm around her again, " Hey, hey, hey. It's going to be okay." Coop said.

He leaned in and they shared a small, but gentle kiss.

Lizzie laid her head back down on his shoulder, and as he kissed the top of her head, she smiled to herself, knowing that is was possible that everything was going to be okay.

Alan Michael and Lucy had arrived in Springfield that evening, they were a little early, but that was all in the plan. Alan Michael had a few surprises up his sleeve regarding daddy dearest.

" Alan Michael, are you sure you want to do this?" Lucy asked. " I know you mean well, but this could be dangerous, you know. Alan has already taken out Phillip, if he finds out what you are up to, he is going to be very upset." Lucy stated.

" Luce, I am going to be very careful, believe me. If anyone knows how to handle Alan, it's me." Alan Michael said. " It won't be long now."

Spoilers For Chapter 10

Coop does as Lizzie asks, and keeps the secret from Buzz, who wants to know how the night went

Alan wants to set Lizzie up on a date with a co-worker's son, but she is not up to it, making Alan a little suspicious

Alan Michael arrives at the Spaulding mansion, where he tells Alan that he and Lucy are separated

Lucy visits Buzz, but tells him the truth, letting him in on Alan Michael's plan, but of course, leaving out the fact that Alan killed him

Whitney


	10. Keeping The Secret

Chapter 10

Coop had gotten in at a late hour last night. It was three in the morning before he ever got some shuteye. He was with Lizzie all night until she finally fell asleep. Once she had stopped crying and finally fell asleep, he had snuck back out the window he had come in. He didn't want to leave her at all, but he knew his father or Frank would be wondering where he was and he didn't want to have to deal with Frank. His father would understand, but Frank not so much. He couldn't even mention Lizzie's name without saying a smart comment or calling her some kind of name, but he couldn't handle it right now.

Buzz came into Coop's room and noticed Coop was up fairly early.

" Coop? Is that you up at 8:00 on a Saturday morning?" Buzz asked, making a joke.

Coop got up and threw his legs over the side of the bed. " Yep. It's me. I didn't get much sleep last night." Coop said. " Maybe a hour."

" Well, I was wondering where you were last night. I finally gave up at about 1:00. Frank, on the other hand, was just positive you were with Lizzie," Buzz said, laughing.

" Well, he was right on the money," Coop said.

Buzz looked directly at Coop. " Did Alan know you were with her?" he asked.

" Nope. I snuck in threw her bedroom window, and.." Coop was interrupted.

" You were in Lizzie's room?" Buzz questioned. " No wonder you got home late." Buzz said, winking.

Coop smiled, but then got serious, " No. It wasn't anything like that. We just kind of talked." Coop said, trying to think of a way to change the subject.

" Well, did things go well between the two of you?" Buzz said.

" Um, yeah, I guess you could call it that." Coop said. " So, who is filling in for Marina today at Company?" Coop said, finally changing the subject.

Buzz could tell something was bothering his son. It was definitely about Lizzie, he was almost positive. But he didn't want to pressure his son anymore, so he just let bygones be bygones, and granted his wish by changing the subject.

" Well, I think Marissa is filling in for Marina, but I am not sure." Buzz said, as he got up off the chair and opened the door.

" Well, Coop, I will see you downstairs in a little while." Buzz said, leaving and shutting the door behind him.

Coop sat back on his bed. He didn't like having to keep secrets from his father. He knew he could trust his father to keep the secret a secret, but he remembered his promise to Lizzie. He could not tell anyone. She had trusted him enough to tell him the whole sorted truth and he could not go back on his word to her.

Lizzie woke up pretty late at the Spaulding mansion. She was still wearing her clothes, but the blankets were pulled up over her. Coop. She remembered what happened last night. She had told him everything and he had been so sweet about it. This was the last thing that she had wanted to happen. She knew there was no way he was going to leave her now, and that was sort of good and sort of bad. She didn't want him to live a life where he was always worried about her or taking care of her. But she may be kind of selfish because she was glad she wasn't going through this alone.

Despite the fact that she was sick and was living with the possibility of dying, last night was one of the best nights she had had in a long time. She was so open with her feelings and it felt great not to have to bottle them up inside. But what she remembered so vivid and clear was being in Coop's arms. She had never felt anything like that in her entire life. Most of the time when she went after guys it was for the thrill of the chase, like with Joey Lupo, but this was different. She had feelings for him that were real. Being in his arms the whole night felt so right, and she couldn't believe she had let her grandfather talk her into staying away from him and letting him feed those horrible lies into her head. She was her own woman. She was going to fight this cancer and have a life with Coop or her name wasn't Lizzie Spaulding.

Alan walked in the room interrupting her thoughts.

" Good morning, Sweetheart, or should I say good afternoon," Alan said.

" Good morning Grand dad," Lizzie replied.

" I was coming up to ask you if you had any plans for tonight?" Alan asked, pleading with his eyes.

Lizzie knew she was probably going to be seeing Coop again, but she wondered what he wanted.

" I don't know, why?" Lizzie asked, full of curiosity.

" Well, I am having dinner with one of Spaulding Enterprises top employees, and he has a son about your age, and I was wondering if you two would like to go out with us tonight." Alan finished.

Lizzie knew what the answer was, and it was no. There was no way she was going out on a date with one of her grandfather's wishy washy boys. She already had a guy, and a great one at that. She was not going to lose him because her grandfather had a major crisis. He was a big boy and he could handle it himself.

" I don't think so grand dad." Lizzie said, not looking at him.

Alan was shocked. " Well, why not?" Alan asked.

" I just don't want to go out on a date with some guy I barely know," Lizzie said, trying to make up a good excuse.

" Elizabeth, I think you should reconsider. This young man is attending Harvard University and has his own business and other important things." Alan continued. " I think you two would really hit it off. I want you to have fun and hang out with your friends like a normal teenager should do." Alan finished.

" Look, grand dad, if you don't mind I think I am just going to hang around here and then maybe go over to Company later," Lizzie said.

" Elizabeth, you can't fool me. You want to go over to Company so you can spend time with Mr. Bradshaw. Elizabeth, just because his last name isn't Cooper, that doesn't mean he isn't one." Alan said, starting to get a little irritated.

Lizzie was getting just as irritated. " Grand dad, I own Company, I need to watch over my employees." Lizzie said.

" Elizabeth, listen to me. The Coopers do not belong in our world. They are not like us." Alan said.

" And just what is that supposed to mean?" Lizzie said. " So what if we have a lot of money, that is not what is important here," Lizzie said.

Alan sighed, but was getting furious with his granddaughter. " Elizabeth, you are not to see this boy again and you will be going on this dinner date with me tonight." Alan finished, walking towards the door.

Lizzie was not about to let him tell her what to do anymore. " NO! Grand dad, I am not going." Lizzie said.

Alan spun around and walked back over there towards her. " What did you say?"

" I said, I am not going. I am old enough to make up my own mind and I am not going with you and you can't make me." Lizzie said, walking out of her room and into the bathroom to get ready for the day.

Alan was furious. That Cooper boy was going to pay for turning his granddaughter against him.

Buzz was working at one of the tables at Company when a young woman called his name.

" Daddy?" Lucy said, as she ran into Company and closed the door.

Buzz turned around to see who it could possibly be. " Lucy? Oh my god, what are you doing here?" Buzz said, running up to his daughter and giving her a big hug.

" Luce, where is Alan Michael and why are you here?" Buzz asked again, still overjoyed to see his daughter again.

" Alan Michael is over at the Spaulding mansion to see Alan," Lucy replied. " But don't worry daddy, he is going to take down Alan, not rejoin forces with him." Lucy finished.

" What do you mean?" Buzz asked.

" Well, he knows his father is out of control so he has got a plan to teach him a lesson he will never forget." Lucy said, her eyes full of wonder.

Alan was still reeling from what his granddaughter had said to him. He was going to make Henry Cooper Bradshaw pay for this. He was so busy with his plans that he didn't even notice that his son had walked into the room.

" Dad?" Alan Michael said, trying not to disturb his father.

Alan turned around, " Alan Michael? Oh, son, what are you doing here so early?" Alan said. " I thought you weren't coming in for at least another two days or so."

" Well, I got an earlier flight out, so I figured why not stay a little longer?" Alan Michael responded.

" Are you traveling alone?" Alan asked his son.

Alan Michael knew that was his round about way of asking if he and Lucy were still together.

" Well, there is some bad news, dad. Lucy and I are separated, we have been for a while." Alan Michael said, lying to his father.

Alan tried hard to contain his excitement, but put on a long face for the boy. " I am so sorry Alan Michael," Alan said.

" Well, I can replace her, right?" Alan Michael said, laughing.

Alan knew his plan was coming together. He had gotten Phillip away from Spaulding, he had split up Gus and Harley, he was on the verge of getting Lizzie and Coop split up and now to hear that Alan Michael and Lucy were separated, could life get any better?

Whitney

Spoilers For Chapter 11

Alan confronts Coop and verbally attacks him, just as Lizzie walks in.

The ramifications of Coop and Alan's argument affect Lizzie in a physical way (signs of Leukemia)

Coop manages to cover for Lizzie when she has another spell

Alan Michael continues to deceive Alan, while Lucy comes close to spilling the beans to Buzz


	11. Fight With Alan

Chapter 11

Coop was just about finished working for the day. The restaurant was going to be closing in about ten minutes and there was no one eating at the moment so he figured he would just close up early. He was going to see Lizzie anyway and that way he could go sooner.

He took off his apron and threw it on an empty table and walked over to open the door so he could put the closed sign out and when he did, Alan was standing right there.

" Alan, what are you doing here?" Coop asked, a little irritated that he was here again, trying to ruin his evening.

" That is Mr. Spaulding to you, Coop" Alan said smirking, making his way into the restaurant.

Coop looked at him in disbelief. " I guess you can't read because the sign on the door says CLOSED" Coop said, very sure of himself.

" My granddaughter owns this restaurant, Mr. Bradshaw. I can come in this place anytime I like and stay as long as I like," Alan said, now standing directly in front of Coop.

It was taking all Coop had not to punch him right in the face. " Okay, Alan, just cut to the chase. Why are you here and what the hell do you want?" Coop said, getting a little angry.

" Well, I am here to offer you a little deal, Mr. Bradshaw." Alan said, smirking.

Coop was curious at what he could want to offer him, so he took the bone. " What would that be?" Coop asked.

" I want you to stay away from my granddaughter," Alan said, his facial expression changing very rapidly.

" Well, what's new with that, Alan?" Coop said. " You haven't wanted me around her since like, EVER" Coop finished.

" You better watch your smart mouth, young man." Alan said.

" Look, Alan, I don't mean you any disrespect, really I don't, but I am not going to stop seeing Lizzie," Coop finished.

Alan was getting madder and madder at every word that was coming out of his mouth. " Mr. Bradshaw, that wasn't a request, it was a demand. And if you don't listen to me, than you will pay a heavy price." Alan finished, waiting to see Coop's expression.

" So what's the so called deal? All that you are throwing at me is an ultimatum," Coop said.

" I am getting to that. If you stop seeing my granddaughter than I will give you a very big chunk of money." Alan said.

Coop could not believe this. " Let me get this straight, Alan. You are going to pay me off so that I will leave Lizzie alone?" Coop said.

Alan reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet, getting to his checkbook. " How does, $100,000 sound?" Alan asked, getting out his pen and preparing to write the check.

" Alan you are totally crazy. I am not taking a penny from you, and like I said before, I am not going to stop seeing Lizzie." Coop said, telling Alan exactly what he could do with his money.

Alan was a little taken back. " You are going to give up $100,000?" Alan said, getting a little angry.

Coop could not believe how desperate he was to get Lizzie away from him.

" Fine then, Mr. Bradshaw, forget the money, but you WILL stay away from my granddaughter, and that is a demand!" Alan said throwing his checkbook down on the table next to Coop's apron.

" No, I am not. I care about her and I am going to continue to see her," Coop said, yelling back at him.

" Coop, I am late for a dinner meeting tonight, in which Lizzie was supposed to attend with me," Alan said.

" Okay, why are you telling me this?" Coop asked, still angry.

" Because Lizzie was supposed to go with me tonight. And she refused because of you." Alan said, using his hands to express how angry he was.

Coop was confused. " Why would she refuse? She can go to dinner with you and your friend anytime she wants too." Coop said.

" She refused because I wanted her to go with my friend's son, and she has some kind of obligation towards you. She has betrayed me and it is all because of you." Alan said.

" Alan, you can't force her to go out on a date if she doesn't want to," Coop said.

Lizzie was walking up the sidewalk to Company. She was going to see Coop. After last night, she wanted to see him again and every night from now on. Despite her Leukemia, this was the happiest she had felt ever since her father had been killed.

When she got to the window she looked in, expecting the place to be closed. When she looked in she saw her grandfather and Coop in what looked like a heated argument.

She walked over to the door and opened it, preparing to listen to what was going on. She opened the door very quietly so they wouldn't see her.

" Listen to me, Mr. Bradshaw, you are not to see my granddaughter EVER again, I mean it. You are not fit to walk the same earth as her," Alan said.

Lizzie was speechless and angry. How dare her grandfather come in here and say that to him. She was not going to allow this. Not after everything he had done for her last night. She knew she had to interfere.

" Mr. Spaulding, Lizzie.." Coop was interrupted by Alan.

" You are not even fit to speak her name," Alan yelled, walking closer to Coop, when Lizzie burst into the room.

" Granddad, leave him alone. STOP IT!" Lizzie said.

Alan turned around and saw his granddaughter practically in tears. He had not meant to upset her.

" Elizabeth, I didn't mean to upset you, I was just talking to Mr. Bradshaw, here" Alan said.

Lizzie was wiping her tears away. " You were NOT talking, you were threatening him and demanding that he stay away from me. That is not your call to make, granddad." Lizzie said, standing up to him.

Coop was watching Lizzie stand up to her grandfather again. Considering all that she was going through, she was handling Alan pretty good.

" Lizzie, you don't really have to defend me," Coop said, trying to make her calm down.

" You don't say another word, Mr. Bradshaw," Alan said, turning back to Lizzie.

" Don't talk to him like that, granddad." Lizzie said, yelling, getting really worked up.

" Elizabeth, you are way to good for this boy, and you are not to see him again," Alan yelled, not noticing that his granddaughter was getting very pale.

" Lizzie, I think you need to calm down, it's okay." Coop said.

" No, Coop, it is not okay. You do not deserve to be talked to that way. I am going to continue to see him, and there is nothing you can do about it!" Lizzie yelled, looking at her grandfather.

" NO, you are NOT!" Alan yelled back, getting in Lizzie's face.

Lizzie felt very weak all of a sudden. Her face was getting paler and paler. Then her knees just buckled and she fell to the floor.

"Lizzie!" Coop yelled, running over to her on the floor.

Alan ran over to Lizzie as well, " Get away from her, Coop" Alan said trying to push him away, but Coop wouldn't budge.

Almost as quickly as Lizzie had fainted, she had woken back up. She opened her eyes, and looked around trying to remember where she was. All she remembered was her grandfather and Coop fighting.

" Coop?" Lizzie managed to get out, but she was too weak to pick her head up, to look for him.

" I'm right here, Lizzie," Coop said, sitting beside of her.

" What happened?" Lizzie asked.

" You just fainted after a fight with your grandfather. But I am sure that is because you haven't had very much sleep these last couple days." Coop said, trying to avoid having to explain anything to Alan.

" Yeah, that must be it, Coop" Lizzie said, catching on to what he was doing. She finally sat up a little bit.

"Elizabeth, are you sure you are alright?" Alan said.

" Yeah, I am fine. You can go home now, granddad. I am through talking to you for tonight." Lizzie said, making it clear to him that she was still mad.

" Elizabeth, I am sorry for what happened. But I am not leaving you here, alone with HIM," Alan said.

" Granddad, if you don't stop this, then I am going to move out of the mansion, and try and find a place where you can't bother me," Lizzie said.

Alan finally took that seriously. " Fine, Elizabeth. But don't say I didn't warn you." Alan said, walking out the door, and shutting it.

Lizzie turned to Coop and said in a very low voice, " Thank you for not telling him."

" I would never tell anyone and especially not him," Coop said, running his hand through her hair.

" I think this is the start of all the symptoms of Leukemia, and it just gets worse. Are you sure you want to be a part of this?" Lizzie said, wanting to make sure he knew what he was up for.

" Are you kidding me, I am not leaving you alone with all of this." Coop said.

" Thank you." Lizzie said. They leaned their foreheads together and shared another kiss.

Alan was reeling. How dare Lizzie betray him like that. If he had to make Henry Cooper Bradshaw disappear the way he made Phillip disappear he would. He would not take his granddaughter away from him. That was a promise.

Spoilers For Chapter 12

Coop and Lizzie make another date

Alan locks Lizzie in her room, so she cannot get out to see Coop

Lizzie climbs out the window and meets Coop anyway

Alan Michael continues to deceive Alan, while Lucy comes close to spilling the beans to Buzz

Whitney


	12. Lizzie Locked In Room

Chapter 12

Lizzie opened the door to her bedroom, threw her pocketbook down on the floor, and jumped onto her bed landing face up. This had been a horrible day. She couldn't believe how bad it had become in such a short time. Last night everything had been perfect. Coop had been there with her and all of her fears and doubts just melted away. Being with him was so peaceful and she enjoyed every minute of it. He was the only person that she trusted with anything. She felt like she could tell him anything and he would not repeat it. But then her grandfather had to come and ruin everything. He didn't care about what made her happy, all he cared about was revenge against Coop and his family, and she wasn't going to put up with it anymore. The whole town might be afraid to stand up to Alan Spaulding, but she wasn't.

Lizzie got up, preparing to go take a long hot shower when her cell phone rang. She reached over and grabbed her purse off the floor and dug around until she found it. Finally after digging through everything in there, she found her little compact cell phone.

She looked at the caller ID. It was Coop. She smiled to herself and answered the phone.

" Hello," Lizzie said, sitting back down on her bed and leaning up against the pillows.

" Hey, It's just me." Coop said.

" Where are you? Won't Frank hear you?" Lizzie asked, concerned for Coop's safety. If Frank found out about them, Coop was as good as dead.

" I'm outside Company, and Frank is inside working on some police reports. Don't worry, I'm safe." Coop said, smiling.

" Well, that's good to know." Lizzie said, leaning back a little further, and picking up her stuffed unicorn and holding it against her chest.

" You're probably wondering why I am calling you again, since we just got finished seeing each other about half an hour ago." Coop said.

" I don't mind," Lizzie said, smiling to herself again.

" After what happened at Company earlier this afternoon, I am still worried about you. Are you feeling okay?" Coop asked, concerned about her condition.

Lizzie sat up a little, and said, " Well, I am still a little dizzy, but overall, I feel fine at the moment."

Coop sat down outside the bench, " Has your granddad bothered you anymore about, you know, us?"

" No, I haven't seen him since I got home. I came straight to my room, and right before you called, I was getting ready to take a long hot bath." Lizzie said, putting her unicorn back down on the bed.

" Well, since we didn't get to go on our date the other night, what do you say we try again, say tonight?" Coop asked, waiting for Lizzie's answer.

" You want to go out with me again, even after all my grandfather's threats? You are a brave man, Henry Cooper Bradshaw." Lizzie said, teasing with her voice.

" Very funny. So what do you say?" Coop said, hoping for a positive answer.

" Well, since I don't have any other plans, I guess I could waste a night on you," Lizzie said, teasing again.

Coop laughed, " Well, it's not like I'm begging you," Coop said, trying to be serious.

" Really?" Lizzie said.

" Okay, so maybe I am. Please! What do you say?" Coop asked.

" You know I'm just picking, of course I want to go out tonight. Where are we going?" Lizzie asked, getting excited about her first date with Coop.

" Well, it's your night so it's up to you." Coop said, not knowing he should have never said that.

Alan was walking up the stairs to Lizzie's room to have a serious talk with his granddaughter about being involved with a Cooper boy. He knew that he didn't need to worry about her dating him, they were only friends, but that was to much in itself. He was about to knock on her door when he heard her giggling on the phone, apparently talking to someone. He decided to listen in.

" Well, there is this play going on tonight at the theater in town," Lizzie said, bringing up what it was she wanted to do.

" A play? Come on Lizzie. Plays are for losers. Pick out something fun to do, like going bungee jumping or something," Coop said, trying to get her to change her mind.

" I'm not a loser, and besides the name of the play is Over The Tea Cup and it is my favorite play of all time. I haven't seen it since I was like twelve years old." Lizzie said, trying to prove her point.

" Come on, Lizzie. What about if I just pay you a hundred bucks and we go do something fun. Do you know how many pairs of shoes you could buy with that money?" Coop said, desperately trying to change her mind.

" No." Lizzie said, in a playful voice.

" Lizzie, I am running out of options here," Coop said.

Alan was listening very closely. Apparently Lizzie was going out on a date with someone tonight. Hopefully, whoever it was would take her mind off of Mr. Bradshaw.

He continued listening.

" Well, if you really are that against it, then I guess we can do something else," Lizzie said, in a really said and low-pitched voice.

Coop sighed. She had done it to him again. She had used the sad tone and was making him feel bad. " Look, Lizzie, I said it was your night, and if you want to go to this play, then I'll go," Coop said, finally giving in.

" Really? I didn't think you would say yes." Lizzie said, now in a much happier mood.

" Yes, you did." Coop said, teasing. " Well, I better get off of here and get ready for the big evening," Coop said.

" Yeah, me too. Oh, and Coop? Thank you again. I'll see you at about 6:30 tonight." Lizzie said, setting the time.

" Okay, see you then, bye." Coop said.

" Bye." Lizzie said, smiling to herself, and finally making her way to the bathroom and getting in the shower.

Alan was fuming. Lizzie was going on a date with a Cooper. Had she not heard a word he had told her at Company. This had to stop and it was going to stop right here and right now. There was no way she was going on this date with him tonight, or ever. Alan reached into his pocket and pulled out a key ring. It had the master key to Lizzie's room on it. He felt horrible about what he was going to do. But it was for her own good. He locked Lizzie's door from the outside. Her door didn't have a lock on the inside, so she couldn't get out.

" I am sorry, Elizabeth, that it came to this. If you would have just listened to me, then this wouldn't have had to happen." Alan said, and then walked down the stairs back to his desk in the living room.

Coop walked into Company and was going upstairs to his room, when Frank pulled him aside on the stairs.

" What's up, Frank?" Coop said, trying to be discreet.

" You looked pretty heavy in conversation out there. Were you talking to your waitress girlfriend again?" Frank asked.

" Yeah. We're going out tonight again. I can't get enough of her." Coop said.

" Well, I'm glad she has taken your mind off of Lizzie Spaulding. I'm glad you took my advice and steered clear of her," Frank said.

" Yeah, well, I had better get upstairs and get ready. Don't want to be late." Coop said, running up the stairs to his room.

Lizzie was picking out her clothes for the evening, when she realized her favorite skirt was in the laundry room, downstairs. She needed to get it, so she went over to the door to open it and go downstairs, but it wouldn't open.

" Hey!" Lizzie yelled, banging on the door, but it was no use. The door was locked. She kicked and pounded and screamed for someone to let her out of her room.

Just then she heard her grandfather outside her door. " Elizabeth?" Alan said.

" Granddad, oh thank god you're here. My door is stuck. Can you help me?" Lizzie asked.

" Elizabeth, I'm sorry, but I did this for your own good." Alan said.

" What? You locked me in here? Why?" Lizzie asked.'

" I have already made my feelings about you dating that Cooper boy very clear, and you decided to disobey me anyway. You are not going on this date with him tonight, and that is final." Alan said, demandingly.

" Granddad, this is not fair. It is my decision, not yours." Lizzie said, getting very angry.

" I want you to stay in your room tonight and think about what you need to do to make this up to me," Alan said, before turning and walking back down the stairs.

" Granddad, please, let me out of here. Please!" Lizzie said, she was pounding on the door and she started to cry, " Please," she said again, before bursting into tears.

Alan was back down stairs working on his papers when Alan Michael came in the room.

" Well, son, what is it? Have you got news?" Alan asked, curious about his son's behavior.

" Well, dad, I just signed the divorce papers. Lucy and I are officially divorced," Alan Michael said, handing over a phony set of divorce papers.

" I'm sorry, son." Alan said. " But now you can focus on the family business," Alan said, sitting back down at his desk, preparing to show Alan Michael some figures.

Alan Michael was feeling pretty good with himself right now, knowing he had the upper hand on his father. Alan on the other hand thought he was controlling Alan Michael's life as well.

Lucy was deep in conversation with her father at Company.

" So, Alan Michael is planning on taking down Alan?" Buzz said, trying to get the whole story out of his daughter.

" Yes, but you have to keep quiet about this. Alan can't hear a word of it." Lucy said,

" Oh, believe me, sweetheart, I have been waiting for a long time to see Alan go down. I am not going to risk this opportunity." Buzz said.

Lizzie was pacing around in her room, trying to figure a way out of this place. This was a nightmare. It reminded her of the fairy tale Cinderella. Her grandfather was out of control and she couldn't stand to be around him. She looked around her room for clues of how to get her door unlocked. She was scanning her room when she came across the window. That was the way Coop got in her room and that was the way she was going to get out.

She grabbed her cell phone and dialed Coop's number.

Coop was getting ready to put his dress clothes on when his cell rang. He picked it up and saw that it was Lizzie.

" Hey, What's up?" Coop asked, wondering what she could want.

" There has been a change in plans. Meet me at the Beacon, in the lobby. I will be there in about fifteen minutes. I will explain everything when I get there. See you. Bye." Lizzie said, hanging up before he had a chance to say anything.

It sounded serious, so Coop put on his street clothes and went out the door and headed to the Beacon.

Lizzie grabbed her purse and jacket and climbed out the window. She didn't want to look down because if she did, she wouldn't be able to go through with it. She wasn't going to let her grandfather take away the only happiness that she felt. She was not going to give up Coop no matter what he said. She closed the window so her grandfather would have no idea how she got out.

She climbed slowly down the ladder and finally reached the ground. She turned around and ran off into the black of night, headed towards the Beacon.

Spoilers For Chapter 13

Coop and Lizzie enjoy a evening on the Beacon rooftop

Alan is furious to find Lizzie missing from her room, but can't figure out where she is

Coop is furious to find out how Alan treated Lizzie

Coop and Lizzie fall asleep together, and don't come home at all, leaving Frank, Alan, and Buzz to think the worst

Whitney


	13. Out All Night

Chapter 13

Coop had been waiting for Lizzie at the Beacon for at least 15 minutes now. It was only a five-minute drive from the Spaulding Mansion, so he was getting a little worried. She sounded very upset on the phone, so needless to say, there was something wrong, but he didn't know what.

Lizzie had finally made it to the Beacon. She had ran for the last fifteen minutes, and that wasn't easy in her high heel shoes. She peaked in the window of the Beacon and saw Coop sitting on the couch in the center of the lobby. She smiled when she saw him. He always made her smile even on the worst days, and this definitely, qualified as a horrible day. She opened up the door and walked inside, trying not to show how tired she was.

Coop looked over his shoulder when he heard someone come in the door, and sure enough it was finally Lizzie. He got up and walked over there to her.

" Hey! Where have you been.." Coop started to ask, but Lizzie quickly interrupted him.

" I'll explain later. We have to go NOW!" she said, dragging him off to the roof of the Beacon.

Over at the Spaulding Mansion, Alan had started to feel a little bad for locking Lizzie in her room, so he had went up to check on her.

Finally arriving at her door, Alan knocked. " Elizabeth, I am coming in." With that, Alan unlocked her door and opened the door. He saw no Elizabeth.

" Elizabeth? Where are you?" Alan said, getting a little angry. She had somehow snuck out of her room and went to see that Cooper boy. He knew exactly where they were, and he was going to find her right now. But the one thing he didn't know was how she got out of her room. First guess would be the window, but she had been scared of heights since she was a little girl. But that didn't matter, he was going over to Company to find his granddaughter and talk some sense into her.

Lizzie was still dragging Coop up the stairs to the roof when they finally made it to the top step. Lizzie walked out and looked around on the roof to make sure the coast was clear, then once again, dragged Coop behind her up to the roof.

"Okay, we're here. What are you being so secretive about?" Coop asked, finally relieved to be on the roof where he could talk.

" Just let me get off these perilous heels. They are killing my feet." Lizzie said, taking off her shoes.

" Perilous heels?" Coop asked, laughing. " I didn't know you talked so proper."

" Well, your feet would be killing you to if you just ran for fifteen minutes in high heels." Lizzie said, finally getting her other shoe off.

" You ran? Here?" Coop said, immediately concerned. " Why did you run here instead of driving your car?" Coop asked.

" Because my grandfather would have known I left the house if he had seen my car gone." Lizzie explained.

" Why do you care if your grandfather knows where you went?" Coop asked. " I mean, you're an adult, and you can do what you want. I thought you had already told him that much." Coop said.

Lizzie sighed and looked up at Coop after throwing her shoe down. " He kind of…" Lizzie began to say.

" Lizzie, what did he do to you? You're acting very strange." Coop said, wondering what in the world was wrong with her. " Are you feeling okay?" He asked very concerned.

Lizzie smiled to herself, obviously feeling very cared about. This was about the third time tonight he had asked her if she was feeling okay.

" Yes, Coop I feel fine. My grandfather found out that I was going to see you tonight, and he told me I couldn't go." Lizzie said, very casually.

" What else happened? I know you Lizzie, and I know you are not being completely honest with me, so what else happened?" Coop asked, getting very concerned.

" It doesn't matter, Coop." Lizzie said, trying to get him to leave the subject alone.

Coop wasn't budging. " Yes, it does matter. Now what did he do to you?" Coop pressured.

" He locked me in my room and wouldn't let me out." Lizzie finally said, sitting on the edge of the roof.

" He what?" Coop said, now feeling a rush of anger. " He locked you in your room just so you wouldn't see me tonight?" Coop finished.

Lizzie looked up and had tears in her eyes. " It was horrible. I can't believe he would do something like that to me." Lizzie said.

Coop sat down beside her as she started to cry. " How did you get out?" Coop asked her.

" I climbed out my window. Just like the way you come in." she said smiling through her tears

" Well, I think it is time I went and had a talk with your grandfather," Coop said, standing up and getting ready to leave.

Lizzie jumped up and grabbed his arm. " Coop please don't." Lizzie said, begging him not to go.

" Lizzie, your grandfather locked you in your room and then forced you to climb out the window, and all the while you are supposed to be relaxing and taking it easy so that you will have all of your strength to fight off this cancer. Your grandfather is responsible for this and I have had it. I am going to go and tell him off once and for all." Coop said, once again trying to leave.

Lizzie pleaded once again. " Look, Coop, I know what my grandfather did was wrong. But we have to remember; he doesn't know that I have Leukemia again. Don't get me wrong, I am not defending him. He had no right to treat you the way he did the other night and to treat me the way he did tonight, but just do as I did and learn to deal with it." Lizzie said, trying to make him see her side of things.

Coop sighed and looked at her. " Lizzie, I really think…" Coop began, but Lizzie interrupted him again.

" Please Coop, don't let my grandfather, who isn't even here, ruin this night for us. We deserve a little fun and that is exactly what is going to happen here tonight." Lizzie said.

Coop finally gave in, not wanting to upset her even more. " Okay, you win. So, what are we going to do on the Beacon rooftop? Coop asked.

" You know, about three months ago, we were up here and you saved my life. This place has had a lot of excitement." Lizzie said, smiling at Coop.

" Yeah, I guess you're right about that." Coop said. " But we need to make some more excitement for this place to remember. So, Elizabeth Spaulding, can I have this dance?" Coop said, standing up and holding his hand out to her.

" Yes, Mr. Bradshaw you can." Lizzie said, standing up by grabbing onto Coop's hand. " Wait a minute, there is no music?" Lizzie said, wondering how they could dance without music.

" Well, we'll just make our own." Coop said.

Lizzie put her arms around his neck, while he put his arms around her waist. Lizzie laid her head on Coop's shoulder and they swayed back and forth.

" Coop?" Lizzie said, lifting her head off of his shoulder.

" What?" Coop asked looking at her.

" I was just wondering, what do you see in me? I mean no other guy has ever really liked me mostly because of all the horrible things I have done, but I mean, I have done nothing but horrible stuff to you and your family, but still somehow, you still like me." Lizzie said.

" For one thing, you are beautiful. Absolutely gorgeous. And you have a big heart, way deep inside. You always have, I am just the first person to see it." Coop said, finally looking at her.

Lizzie was getting all teary eyed. " Do you really mean all those wonderful things?" she asked.

" Yes, Lizzie, I do. You are an amazing person full of laughter and courage. I have seen you take charge of this cancer and pledge to fight it as hard as you have to. Even, I couldn't be this brave about the fact that I had cancer." Coop finished.

" I just want you to know something. I mean, you know how hard it is for me to trust someone. I just don't trust people that easily. I have been let down time and time again when it comes to trusting people. To be honest with you, the only person I have ever fully trusted was my father, until now." Lizzie said, looking at Coop was a kind of half smile.

" What are you saying?" Coop asked.

" I am saying, I used to hate you. I hated you sooo much after what you did to me in court. Then I sat down and realized that you didn't even know that I had killed Carl all those years ago. And I realized that you didn't do this on purpose. You did it because you love your sister and your family. I really respected that then and I still do now." Lizzie continued. " My point is, I, like you, started to see you in a new light. To be completely honest with you, you are the best person I have ever known." Lizzie said.

Coop was more than shocked. " Lizzie, come on. I mean, I am not perfect by a long shot. You can't possibly think I am the best person you have ever met?" Coop said.

" Yes, you are. I mean I have never met anyone like you. You have forgiven me time and time again for stuff now that I think back on it that were totally unforgivable. And still, you are here with me supporting me through all of this. I fully and completely trust you." Lizzie stated, finally getting her point across.

" You trust me?" Coop said, very surprised.

" Yes, I do. You have proven that I can come to you with anything." Lizzie said.

Lizzie was suddenly overcome with emotion, and started to tear up again. Coop gently wiped away her tears as they began to fall. Then he leaned in and pulled her into a passionate kiss.

Alan had marched all the way over to Company on his mission to find his granddaughter and that good for nothing Cooper boy. He opened the door to Company oblivious to the sign outside that said CLOSED.

" Where the hell is my granddaughter?" Alan said, slamming the door shut.

Buzz looked up from the paper he was reading. " Nice to see you too, Alan. What brings you by?" Buzz said, sarcastically.

" I know my granddaughter is here somewhere. Now where is she!" Alan said yelling.

" Alan, I have no idea where Lizzie is." Buzz said, trying to hide the fact that he knew she was with his son.

" She is here, and I know it. She is with your son, and he is going to fill her head with lies about our family, and I won't allow it." Alan said, getting very angry.

Just then Frank came barreling down the stairs. " Alan what the hell are you doing here?" Frank said.

" I am here to find your brother because my granddaughter is with him." Alan said.

" Alan, I talked to Coop earlier this afternoon and he told me that he had a date this afternoon and…" Frank started and then a light bulb went off in his head. He turned to Buzz who had tried to slip out of the room.

" Dad! Did Coop really go out with Lizzie tonight?" Frank asked, hoping the answer was no.

Alan jumped in before Buzz had a chance to say anything.

" My Lizzie could have any guy in this town that she wanted and she chooses your low life good for nothing brother" Alan said, getting madder by the minute.

Frank was getting just as mad. " Listen here Alan, I think that your Lizzie is a psycho. She is totally crazy.

Buzz walked over and yelled, " Stop it! Lizzie and Coop are probably on their way home right now and we can talk to them then.

Back on the Beacon rooftop, Lizzie and Coop were still kissing. Finally it broke up.

Lizzie slowly opened her eyes. " Wow," she said, looking at Coop and kind of smiling.

" Wow is right," Coop said smiling back at her. He looked at his watch and noticed it was getting pretty late.

" It is 11:30" Coop said, " we better start heading home."

" Can't we just stay up here a little while longer? I don't want to go home and face my grandfather." Lizzie said, sitting down.

Coop sat down beside of her. " Okay, but only for you," Coop said.

Lizzie laid her head once again on Coop's shoulder and closed her eyes. Coop put his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

Alan was pacing the floor at Company. " Where in the hell has your son taken my granddaughter? It is past midnight now. I swear, Buzz, if your son has taken advantage of my Lizzie, I will make him pay." Alan said.

"Alan, calm down," Buzz started.

" I am staying here until Coop and Lizzie walk through that door." Alan said, sitting down on a chair.

Buzz said to himself, " This is going to be a long night"

Spoilers For Chapter 14:

Coop and Lizzie wake up in the morning to discover they spent the whole night on the roof

Alan is furious when Lizzie doesn't come home all night

Frank tries to tell Coop to stay away from Lizzie, but that falls on deaf ears

Alan Michael continues to deceive Alan

Gus joins forces with Alan Michael to bring Alan down

MAJOR SPOILER:

Phillip is Alive! He joins Gus and AM in bringing Alan down. Look for the three Spaulding brothers to take their own father down!

Meanwhile, Phillip finds out that Lizzie is dating Coop and he is shockingly okay with it, and comes close to telling her so, but alas, something gets in his way and Lizzie still believes he is dead.

I figured I would need Phillip alive in this story so that Lizzie could have her daddy's approval.

Whitney


	14. The Fallout

Chapter 14

Coop woke up to the sound of a loud ringing noise. He reached over to hit the snooze button on his alarm clock only to find air. He woke up and realized his other arm was numb. The sun was so bright, he realized he wasn't in his room in the bed either. He looked down and saw Lizzie. He remembered they had sat down last night to spend just a few more minutes together before they went home, and they must have just fallen asleep. Alan was going to freak and not to mention Frank.

" Oh, my God", Coop said to himself, while noticing that Lizzie was moving around and was about to wake up.

" Oh, My God," Lizzie said sitting up and trying to fix her rumpled hair. " Look at my hair,".

" Lizzie, I think we have a lot more important things to be worrying about right now than your hair," Coop said, getting up and pulling her up with him.

" Like what?" Lizzie said.

" Like the fact that we stayed out all night together without even telling our families where we would be, that is just for starters." Coop said.

" Coop, honey, I think you need to get some more rest. You are not thinking clearly, just a few minutes ago we were going to go home and I talked you out of it. We still have plenty of time to get home before the morning comes." Lizzie said, oblivious to the fact that it was already morning.

" Lizzie, look around. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and it's the beginning of a brand new day. We were out the entire night. How are we going to explain this?" Coop asked.

Lizzie looked around and suddenly got a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. " You're right. Oh my god, Coop how am I going to explain this to my grandfather?" Lizzie said, starting to panic.

" We are just going to tell him the truth, Lizzie. Nothing happened that shouldn't have." Coop said, kissing the top of her head.

"Okay, if you say so." Lizzie said, taking Coop's hand and he led them off the roof and onto whatever was waiting for them at home.

Alan had not slept a wink last night. He had been sitting in that hard chair at one of the tables at Company all night long. Elizabeth still had not returned home.

" Buzz! Your son has kept my granddaughter out all night!" Alan suddenly yelled.

Buzz had finally gotten some sort of sleep before Alan's loud yelling, which startled him and woke him up. Now Buzz was a little worried about Coop and Lizzie being out all night. He was hoping that what he thought may have happened, didn't. He didn't want to be around if Alan found out something like that. He knew Coop, and he knew he wouldn't put Lizzie in any kind of danger, not with the strength of his feelings toward her.

" Alan, I'm sure they are fine. They are adults, they can do whatever they want to." Buzz said, trying to calm Alan down.

" You are just hoping your son got a score last night," Alan stated, his fury getting worse.

Just then Frank came down the steps, obviously not having slept either.

" Dad, Coop didn't come home all night. I was up waiting to knock some sense into him, but he never showed. Please tell me he is not still out with Lizzie." Frank said, obviously very upset over the whole ordeal.

" Frank, your brother is an adult and a very smart one at that. He is not going to do something he is going to regret." Buzz stated.

" Well, he is going to regret staying out all night with Elizabeth, that is for sure," Alan jumped in, yelling.

" Alan…" Buzz started to say, but he was interrupted when the door to Company was opened.

" Granddad, Good Morning," Elizabeth said, cheerfully, trying to decide what kind of mood her grandfather was in.

" Elizabeth, where have you been?" Alan yelled, grabbing Lizzie's arm and dragging her over to the corner of the restaurant for privacy.

Over across the other side of the restaurant, Frank has drug Coop over to discuss what happened last night.

They both knew it was going to be a long morning.

Over across town at the Spaulding Mansion, Alan Michael was sitting at his father's desk looking at the pictures of his brother Phillip. It was true that he and Phillip rarely got along, but that didn't mean he didn't love him. But what he knew about Alan and everything else that could go down, he didn't know who to trust and who to avoid.

Just then, Gus walked into the living room and interrupted Alan Michael's thoughts.

" You must be Alan Michael" Gus said, extending his hand to his newly found brother.

" That's right, but who are you?" Alan Michael said, confused.

" Oh, don't tell me dear oh dad forgot to mention to you he has another son." Gus stated, actually shocked Alan hadn't mentioned it.

" A what? Another son? Who?" Alan Michael said, stunned.

" That would be me. Gus Aitoro." Gus said, preparing to tell the whole story.

Lizzie and Alan had left Company some time ago, but Frank was still grilling Coop about his night with Lizzie.

" Coop, look, I know you have some sort of crush on Lizzie, and I know you are a guy and you have certain needs, but really Coop, a Spaulding?" Frank said, trying to make Coop see things his way.

" Frank, it is more than just a crush, okay. I honestly have real feelings for her. I am not joking around, this is a very serious relationship." Coop said, a matter of factly.

Frank sighed. " Coop, I know you want to believe that, but she is just using you until someone better comes along. I know the Spauldings, that is all that they do. They use people. I don't want you to become a victim of that." Frank finished.

Coop was getting a little irritated. " Frank, I wish I could just talk to you as a normal person. Most guys can talk to their brothers about stuff like this. I can't talk to you about Lizzie because you erupt like a volcano." Coop finished.

" Coop, just answer me one question. Did you or did you not sleep with Lizzie last night?' Frank asked.

" No, Frank. We did not sleep together last night or any other night. For right now our relationship does not involve sex in any way. We are still developing our relationship and building our trust. I know it sounds stupid, but I don't need sex to make a relationship work." Coop said, trying to make Frank see his point.

" Coop, you really care about her, don't you?" Frank asked, finally getting how Coop felt about Lizzie Spaulding.

" Yeah, I do. But, I think it is a lot more than that." Coop said, thinking about the depth of his feelings for Lizzie.

" What do you mean?" Frank said, curious as to what Coop was talking about.

" Well, I can't be sure about this, but I think I might be falling in love with her," Coop said, finally letting his true feelings out in the open. " I'm not sure because I have never been in love before." Coop said, wondering if his brother could give him any advice.

" Wow, Coop, I didn't know that things had gotten this serious with you two." Frank said.

" Is that your way of saying that you approve?" Coop said.

" Not on your life." Frank said, getting up and leaving the table.

Coop sighed and leaned back against the wall and thought about the girl of his dreams, and what he had to do to make sure she was safe and that she did not succumb to the cancer growing inside of her.

Alan Michael and Gus had been chatting for the last three hours getting caught up on everything. Gus explained how he discovered he was a Spaulding. What Alex and Alan had done with the drug ring and how he had lost Harley in the process. But he did mention that he and Harley were back together since returning from New York City. Alan Michael was once married to Harley and he loved her very much back when, but he decided he was totally cool with Gus and Harley, and he loved this connection he seemed to have with Gus, a connection he never had with Phillip. Alan Michael had also explained to Gus that Alan had been Phillip's real killer. Needless to say, Gus was shocked to his core.

" Oh, my God." Gus said, totally shocked at what Alan Michael had just told him. " Our father killed our brother?"

" He called me up for assistance, because he knew that Phillip and I kind of had a feud going on about the time he was killed. It was over who ran Spaulding Enterprises, but after Lucy and I got married, we left town to avoid Alan and everything that goes along with Spaulding and Cooper war." Alan Michael explained to Gus. " So, I knew something was really up when he called me for assistance in getting rid of Phillip. He had it in his head that he was protecting the family by killing Phillip." Alan Michael finished.

" So you helped Alan kill Phillip?" Gus said, very confused.

" No, I made him think I was on his side. I have known dad needed help for so many years. He told me the whole sordid story, and it is very whacked." Alan Michael said. " But I have one more shocker for you, Gus."

" What?" Gus said, eager to hear more of his father's plot.

" Forget everything I just told you." Alan Michael said, getting ready to shock the life out of Gus.

" What? Why would I want to do that?" Gus said.

" Because our dear oh brother Phillip, is still alive." Alan Michael said, preparing for Gus's reaction.

" What? Phillip is still alive?" Gus said, now very confused.

" Phillip called me the same day to tell me about his plan to take the children. I don't know how, but some how, I managed to talk him out of it. So he sent those invitations out for Beth, Harley, and Olivia so that he could give them their children back. But dad didn't see that. He shot Phillip. Somehow Phillip faked his death and got away." Alan Michael continued. " Phillip has been seeing a psychologist for a long time now, and he is about back to normal." he finished.

Gus's brain was about to shut down. This was a lot of information to take in in such a short time.

" Why are you telling me this? We just met. Why would you tell me this." Gus said.

" Because I found out you are my brother. I would like to get to know you a little better. But I know we want the same thing: All of this fighting between the Coopers and the Spauldings to stop. I think we should work together and teach dad a lesson he will never forget." Alan Michael finished.

" You are on." Gus said.

" But what do you say we add another member to our team." Alan Michael said.

" Who?" Gus asked.

" Our brother Phillip. He wants revenge on Alan for turning his life upside down and he wants revenge for what Alan has done to his family. It is perfect. The three Spaulding brothers taking down the mighty Alan Spaulding." Alan Michael said, very confidently.

" Let's do it." Gus said, more than ready to teach his scheming father a lesson. "Let's find Phillip."

Spoilers For Chapter 15

Lizzie has another sign of Leukemia, but luckily, Coop covers for her again

Coop comes very close to admitting his true feelings for Lizzie

Gus and Alan Michael travel to Arizona to find Phillip

Phillip agrees to team up with Alan Michael and Gus in order to take Alan down

Down the Road:

Lizzie's leukemia takes a turn for the worse, and she is getting sicker and sicker. Coop promised to keep this a secret, but will he be able to keep his promise when he sees the woman he loves dying?

Meanwhile, Alan Michael, Gus, and Phillip are coming up with a plan to prove Alan's guilt and to teach him a lesson. Phillip finds out Coop and Lizzie are dating and realizing all the pain she has been through her whole life, he decides to let her be happy for once and doesn't interfere with their relationship. Phillip is still believed dead by Lizzie, so when Phillip and Coop come face to face, Phillip gives his approval and explains the plan to Coop. The Coop has the decision whether to tell Phillip about Lizzie's condition, or to keep his promise and let her deal with it alone. What will he do?

Whitney


	15. Realizing True Feelings

Chapter 15

Coop was sitting on a barstool at Company sipping on his beer, thinking about his conversation with Frank earlier that morning. He had finally realized how he truly felt about Lizzie Spaulding. He loved her. That was the last thing he ever expected to happen, especially with Lizzie being the girl. He had hated her so bad at times, and then felt sorry for her at times. Then the little charade he had been putting on turned real. He really developed feelings for her and then fell in love with her. The moment he had fallen in love with her was pretty clear. It was the night when she had finally broke down in his arms and told him that she couldn't deal with her cancer alone. He had seen her vulnerability and had seen that she was not as tough and cold hearted as she looked and put on.

Coop sighed and took another drink out of his can, before getting up and running straight into his father.

" Whoa, Coop." Buzz said, taking a step back and looking at his son. " Are you okay?"

" Yeah, dad. I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" Coop said, trying to change his attitude.

" I am going to assume this is about Lizzie?" Buzz said, already able to read his son's mind.

" How is it that you always know when I am upset?" Coop said, finally agreeing that something was wrong.

" What is it, son? Did you two have another fight since this morning?" Buzz asked.

" No, nothing like that. I was just wondering if you could give me some much needed advice." Coop said.

" Name it, and I'll see what I can do." Buzz said.

" Well, this morning after Lizzie left and Frank chewed me out about Lizzie, I kind of made a big discovery about something." Coop said, about to reveal his feelings for Lizzie to his father.

" What would that be, Coop?" Buzz said, eager to hear his answer.

" I realized my true feelings for Lizzie, dad. I am in love with her. I, Henry COOPER Bradshaw love Lizzie SPAULDING. Can you believe this?" Coop said, emphasizing the last names.

" Actually yes, I can. I have known it for a very long time." Buzz replied.

" I really don't know how I let this happen. I swore I would never let it happen, but it did anyway. Now the real question is: What do I do about it? Do I tell her, or do I keep it to myself?" Coop asked his father.

" You are a man of honesty, Coop. I have never known you to live a lie or to lie to anyone about anything, so I know you are going to tell her regaurdless of what I say." Buzz said.

" Dad, this is different. It is much different than anything I have ever had to tell anyone before. I have never told any girl that I love them or let alone that I am in love with them. If she doesn't feel the same way, than I don't want to be left hanging, you know?" Coop said, not sure of what he was going to do.

" Look, Coop, You should definitely be honest with her. If you don't tell her how you feel, you will end up regretting it. I know I did." Buzz said, remembering something from his past.

" What do you mean?" Coop asked.

" Well your mother left town thinking I wasn't in love with her and that I still loved Nadine, but she was wrong. I loved her with all of my heart, but she didn't know that because I never told her. Then she came back a few months and she was pregnant with you. Then she died in the car accident before she knew how much I loved her." Buzz said, getting very sad.

" Wow, dad. I didn't know any of that." Coop said, shocked at the story.

" Well, now, I hope you understand what I mean when I say you need to be honest with Lizzie about your feelings." Buzz said, trying to get through to his son.

" Yeah, I do. Thanks dad. I gotta go talk to Lizzie now." Coop said, walking out of the restaurant and heading to the Spaulding mansion.

Alan Michael and Gus were still flying on the Spaulding jet on the quest to find Phillip and talk him into joining forces with them to take down Alan.

" Alan Michael, are you sure that Phillip is in Arizona?" Gus questioned his newfound brother.

Alan Michael looked up from the map he was reading. " Yes. I am positive. He is staying at the house that he, Beth, and Lizzie stayed at when they lived out there." Alan Michael answered.

Gus was weary that Phillip would agree. " Are you sure that Phillip will agree to the plan?" Gus asked.

" He wants revenge on Alan for everything. For shooting him in the first place, for making everyone believe he was dead, for hurting his children, for framing Harley, and for everything else he has ever done to him." Alan Michael responded.

" Well, then let's hope Phillip is in for the fight of his life." Gus said, sitting back preparing for the moment he would reunite with his believed dead brother.

Lizzie was walking into her bedroom after her long discussion with her grandfather. He had told her the same things he always said. The Coopers are evil, Coop will hurt you. The Coopers are our enemy. The same old bull he always said. He didn't know what he was talking about. She loved Coop, and he didn't know that and neither did Coop for that matter, but that was okay. She would never tell him she loved him unless he said it first which was a long shot.

Lizzie threw her purse down and walked over to her bed. She wasn't watching where she was going and she ran right into the post of her bed. She fell on her bed crying in pain.

" Ow!" Lizzie screamed, not really crying but in awful pain.

About that time had already climbed up the ladder to her window and was about to knock when he realized Lizzie wasn't acting like herself, so he just opened the window from the outside. Startled, Lizzie turned around.

" Coop? What are you doing here?" Lizzie asked surprised to see him.

" I came to tell you something. Lizzie, what happened to you?" he asked, shutting the window.

" I ran into my bedpost. Come here and look at the size of this bruise." Lizzie said, holding her arm.

" That must have been a hard hit, Lizzie." Coop said, looking at the large bruise on her arm.

" It was, but the bruise is definitely a symptom of Leukemia. Bruising easily is a big symptom of Leukemia" Lizzie explained.

"Look, Lizzie, I came over to see you so that I could tell you something very important." Coop said.

"Okay, what is it?" Lizzie asked, sitting back down on the bed.

Coop came over and sat down beside of her, and then he took her hands, preparing to tell her the biggest thing he had ever told anyone.

" Coop, are you okay? You are kind of scaring me." Lizzie asked, noticing that Coop was getting very nervous.

" Yeah, I'm fine. Lizzie, I have come to know you very well these past months and have grown to care about you a lot." Coop continued. " But there is one thing that you don't know quite yet." Coop said, letting out a huge sigh.

" What?" Lizzie asked, wondering what he was going to say.

" Lizzie, I don't really know how to tell you this, so I guess I will just say it." Coop replied. " Lizzie, I…" Coop was interrupted when Alex came rushing into the room.

Lizzie jumped up and walked over to her Aunt Alex.

" What's wrong" Lizzie asked.

" I should be asking you. Lizzie, what is he doing here and how did you get in here, Coop?" Alex asked.

" I climbed up the ladder to her window." Coop answered.

" Lizzie, if your grandfather knew he was up here…." Alex began.

" Aunt Alex, I don't care what he thinks." Lizzie said, making her point very clear.

" Look, Lizzie, I am not going to say anything because I want you to be happy. But you two had better be very careful." Alex said.

" We will. Thank you Aunt Alex." Lizzie said, hugging her aunt.

" Lizzie, what happened to your arm?" Alex asked, concerned for her nieces health.

" Um, Lizzie was helping out at Company a few nights ago and she ran into a table end. It's just now bruising." Coop lied, to protect Lizzie from having to make up one herself.

" Oh. Well, Lizzie maybe waitressing isn't your thing." Alex said. " Remember what I said, you two. Be careful."

Alex left the room and Lizzie shut the door behind her and locked it.

"Thank you so much." Lizzie said to Coop and walked over to him.

" No problem" Coop said, wrapping his arms around her and kissing the top of her head.

Alan Michael and Gus had walked into the old house that Phillip was living in. The butler had let them in and then led them over to the living room to wait for Phillip.

" Alan Michael? Gus?" Phillip's voice was heard walking into the room.

Gus looked up to see his brother and sure enough there he was and perfectly fine and very much alive.

" What are you two doing here?" Phillip asked.

" We came to proposition you." Alan Michael said.

Phillip sat down on the couch and prepared to listen to what his brothers had to say.

A few minutes later Phillip had been filled in on his brothers plan. He had been told everything that Alan had done and was still doing.

" Is that it?" Phillip asked, wanting to know if there was anything else.

" Well, Phillip, there is one thing you don't know. It doesn't really have anything to do with the plan, but it does have to do with your daughter, Lizzie." Gus said.

" What?" Phillip asked, hoping his daughter was doing okay with out him.

" Well, don't freak out now here, but she is kind of dating someone now. Someone you may not approve of." Gus said.

" Who?" Phillip asked, praying it wasn't someone he wouldn't like.

" Coop. You know, Harley's brother. Buzz's son with Jenna." Gus said, ready to hear the fireworks.

" Oh." Phillip said. " Is she happy?" Phillip asked.

" Yeah, Phillip. She is pretty much a disaster, no offense, but he loves her anyway." Gus said, surprised Phillip was so calm. " But Alan is not happy at all. He has threatened both of them so I think you need to come back and help us stop him from destroying everyone that you love." Gus said.

" Alan is threatening my daughter?" Phillip said, standing up and getting very angry.

" I'm afraid so" Gus said.

" Then let's do it. I am going to return to Springfield and us three are going to tear Alan to pieces. He won't know what hit him." Phillip said, shaking Gus and then Alan Michael's hands.

Spoilers for Chapter 16:

Phillip comes back to Springfield and his return is kept very secret.

Phillip spots Coop and Lizzie together and decides he is okay with them dating

Coop plans to tell Lizzie that he loves her again when they decide to go on a romantic getaway

Lizzie decides honesty is the best policy and wants to tell Coop she loves him, unaware he is planning to do the same thing

Alan Michael, Gus, and Phillip put together the first plan of action

Harley finds out Phillip is alive

Whitney


	16. Vacation

Chapter 16

Lizzie was in her room relaxing just as she had promised Coop she would do. He had left about an hour earlier and had made her promise she would just relax for the rest of the afternoon, but it was almost impossible. She wanted to be up and doing something. She was not the type of woman to sit around and do nothing. Well, the old Lizzie was, but not the new and improved Lizzie. She had tried so hard, and had finally succeeded in becoming a better person. And that was all because of Coop. He had made her see things in a way she would have never seen on her own. He made her feel better about herself and made her feel like a better person. Most of all she didn't feel like she was alone in the world anymore. She loved the new feeling she had about her, and then this whole Leukemia had to come and ruin it. She had already decided that she wasn't going to let this be the end of her. She was going to fight this disease with everything she had. She had too many things to live for. Well, one thing in particular, Coop. She knew she couldn't have gotten through this without him. She was going to need him in the future and for a long time coming. She had faught so hard not to allow this to happen, but in the end, she had allowed herself to fall in love with Henry Cooper Bradshaw. She was sure it was love because it was different than any other feeling she had ever felt before. Sure there was Joey, but that wasn't really love that was more about the thrill of the chase. Wanting something she couldn't have. But with Coop it was very different. She knew she loved him, more than anyone in the world. She just wished she could find the courage to tell him the truth about her feelings. She was worried he wouldn't feel the same way. She didn't know what to do. This had been sitting on her mind for the last hour, ever since he left.

Suddenly the phone rang interrupting her thoughts. She looked at her caller ID. Sure enough it was Coop.

Lizzie sat up on the bed and answered the phone. " Hello?"

" Are you resting like you promised me you would?" Coop asked, immediately getting very concerned.

" Well, I was until you called, but hey, I'm not complaining." Lizzie said, half heartedly making a joke.

" Ha Ha Ha." Coop said, sarcastically laughing at her joke.

" So, Henry, what's up?" Lizzie asked, curious as to why he had called her when they had just finished talking in person a little over an hour earlier.

" Well, I was just sitting here thinking, and I came to the conclusion that you need a vacation away from Springfield." Coop said, about to bring up his brilliant idea.

" A vacation? That sounds very nice, but where would I go?" Lizzie asked, curiously.

" Where would you go? Don't you mean, where would we go?" Coop said. " I'm coming with you. There is no way you are leaving the town alone."

" That is so sweet. So where are we going?" Lizzie said, correcting her question.

" Where do you want to go?" Coop asked

" Well, I would like to go to the beach. I love the beach, but since we already live so close to one, I guess we could go somewhere else." Lizzie said. " I know, how about the mountains?"

" The mountains?" Coop said, not sure whether she knew what she was talking about.

" Yes, the mountains. That is it, Coop. I haven't been there since I was a little girl. That is where we are going." Lizzie said, in a demanding voice.

" If you're sure that is where you want to go then that is where we'll go." Coop said, finally giving in.

" Thank you, Henry." Lizzie said. 

" Yeah, Yeah." Coop said, jokingly.

" Well, I'll start packing." Lizzie said, eager to pack her new clothes.

" We can leave tonight, it that's okay with you." Coop said.

" Sure. I can't wait." Lizzie said.

" Okay, see you then, Bye." Coop said, hanging up the phone.

" Bye." Lizzie replied, hanging up her phone.

Lizzie had finally decided that tonight was the night she was going to tell Coop that she loved him. This would be the best trip she had ever been on.

Coop had finalized the end of his plan. This was the night he was going to tell Lizzie that he loved her. This was going to be the best trip he had ever been on.

Meanwhile across town, Phillip, Gus, and Alan Michael were in Harley's old office. Gus figured this was the only way he could keep Phillip's return secret from Alan. Gus had called Harley and told her to meet him there, so she could be let on in the plan.

Just then the door to the Angel's office opened and in walked Harley.

" Phillip!" Harley shouted, as Gus and Alan Michael ran to the door and pulled her in and shut it.

" Honey, it's a long story, but sit down and we'll tell you the whole thing." Gus said, putting his arm around Harley and leading her to a chair.

A whole hour had passed and Harley was still in shock. The man she thought was dead, and the man who had made her life a living hell, and still was was not dead at all.

" I apologize, Harley. For my behavior before all of this happened, and especially for my father's behavior through the whole thing." Phillip said. " I know that this isn't enough, but I do want you to know that I am truly sorry for what followed my supposed demise."

Harley knew it would take a lot more than that for her to fully forgive Phillip, but he did sound sincere.

" So, this plan" Harley mentioned, " Are you guys sure it is going to work?"

" It should work, as long as you keep it a secret." Alan Michael said.

" He won't hear it from me." Harley promised.

About an hour later Lizzie arrived at Company with her bags packed, and she was waiting on Coop so they could leave for the mountains. She was so excited. She couldn't wait to spend all that time alone with him.

" Hey, Lizzie." Coop said, running out the front door at Company with his bag around his back. " Sorry I'm late, I had to close up before we left."

" It's okay, Coop." Lizzie said, just happy to see him.

Just then Phillip was walking around in the woods outside Company. He just wanted to see how his daughter was doing, running Company and all. Then he heard her voice and a boy's. He assumed it was Coop, after all Gus had already warned him.

" So are you ready to go?" Coop asked Lizzie.

" Of course I am. So, since I am a girl and I don't know distance, how long is it going to take us to get there?" Lizzie asked, feeling slightly dense.

Phillip laughed inside. That was his Lizzie. But where was Coop taking his daughter. He walked up a little closer.

" Well, I would say a little over two hours. Are you that excited about the mountains?" Coop asked, shocked she was so excited.

" Of course I am. I told you, I haven't been there since I was little, I am dying to go again." Lizzie said.

The mountains were where they were going. It was true about Lizzie loving the mountains. She had loved them when he, Beth, and Lizzie had went there when she was younger. She looked so happy. He hadn't seen her that happy in a very long time. He didn't want to ruin this for her. He had no choice, he didn't like the idea of his daughter dating anyone, but she was happy and that was all that mattered to him. Her feelings came first.

" Well, let's go," Lizzie said, getting excited.

" Okay. Okay." Coop said, kissing her forehead. " Let's go."

Phillip had made up his mind. He was not going to ruin this for her. If this made her happy and it was what she wanted than, so be it.

About an hour later Coop and Lizzie were in Coop's car driving down the road, and were sort of having an argument over what they disliked about each other.

" What do you mean, I am a snotty brat?" Lizzie said, getting kind of angry.

" I said, sometimes." Coop said, getting annoyed.

" Well, I don't think I am ever snotty, as you call it." Lizzie said, pouting.

" Please, Lizzie remember that time at the Spaulding Mansion when you kissed me?" Coop said.

" What? You kissed me. I didn't make the first move." Lizzie said, getting mad.

" Whatever, Lizzie. You totally kissed me." Coop argued back, finally pulling off the road.

Lizzie jumped out of the car. " I have had it. If I am so annoying and you can't stand to be around me, than why did you even bring me here?" Lizzie said, furious.

" Lizzie, I never said I couldn't stand to be around you. Where do you get this crap? Coop said.

" Nothing I say is crap." Lizzie said, getting more angry.

" That's impossible. Because what you just said was crap." Coop said, now getting mad.

"Answer my question, why did you bring me here?" Lizzie said.

" Lizzie…" Coop started to say.

" Answer me." Lizzie yelled, getting madder.

" Fine. Because I love you!" Coop yelled, not even realizing what he had said.

Spoilers for Chapter 17

Coop says something to Lizzie that brings tears to her eyes

It's time for Lizzie to tell Coop the truth about her feelings, but will she?

Coop and Lizzie have a serious talk about sex

Phillip, Gus, and Alan Michael start the fist plan of action

Alan has a haunting nightmare about Phillip, but is it really a nightmare?

Whitney


	17. I Love You

Chapter 17

Lizzie was trying to process the words that had just come out of Coop's mouth. She couldn't have heard him right.

" What did you say?" Lizzie asked, wanting him to repeat what he had just said.

Coop looked a little embarrassed, and was shocked at himself for what he just told her.

"Coop, did you just say what I think you just said?" Lizzie asked again.

" Lizzie, look, I…" Coop started to try to deny it, but knew it wasn't working with her.

" Coop, you just said that you love me, am I wrong or am I right?" Lizzie asked again, trying to get something out of him.

" You're not crazy. That is what I said, and I meant it. I love you, I do." Coop finally managed to get out.

" I can't believe this," Lizzie said in shock. " I never thought I would ever hear you of all people, say those words to me."

" Well, believe it, because I just did and I meant them." Coop reassured her.

" Wow, that is a lot to process right now." Lizzie said.

" What is there to process? I said I love you, that's all you need to know." Coop replied, wanting to know what she was so worried about.

" Look, Coop, you know, the thing is, I am going to get sicker and sicker even to the point of maybe dying, and I don't want you hanging around for someone who is just gong to die on you." Lizzie said, voicing her concerns.

" I have already told you, I am not going to leave you because you have cancer. I am not. I just got finished telling you how much I care about you, and that was not goodbye. I have all the faith in the world in you that you can make it, and I know that you will." Coop continued. " You are one of the most stubborn women I know, and you will go down fighting if you have to."

" Coop, there is something you should know. There is something I wanted to tell you when we got up to the mountains, but right now is definitely the time to do it." Lizzie said, preparing for the first time to honestly tell someone how she feels about them.

" What?" Coop asked, curious as to what she had to say.

" I love you too." Lizzie said, feeling relieved that she got it out. " You have more faith in me than I could ever have in myself. I don't know how I could have made it through any of this without you, but I am also really worried about you. I don't want you to stick around when I could be…" Lizzie got interrupted.

" I don't feel obligated to stick around," Coop started. " I am sticking around because I want to and because I love you, and that is all there is to it." Coop said, sticking to his word.

" Since we are on the subject of, love, and everything I think there is something you should know about me, and that might determine if you still want to stick around." Lizzie said, preparing to embarrass herself, but she wanted to be honest.

" What?" Coop said, curiously.

" I am just going to say it. I am a virgin and I plan to stay one for a very long time." Lizzie said, watching Coop's face the whole time.

" Well, that was unexpected." Coop said. " What brought that on?"

" I am not accusing you of anything, Henry, it's just you're a guy." Lizzie said, trying not to laugh. " And guys have certain needs."

" Okay, why are you telling me this now? Have I done something to make you feel pressured?" Coop asked.

" No, it's just I want to make my intentions very clear from the get go. I don't mean to be harsh, but I made a promise to my daddy before he died and I plan to keep it." Lizzie explained.

" Your dad talked to you about this kind of stuff?" Coop asked.

" Well, he really had no choice. My mom got involved with that crazy lunatic Edmund Winslow and she got into some major trouble and to make a long story short, we all thought she had died, so my dad took over and raised me and James alone. We had the sex talk, yes." Lizzie continued. " He asked me to promise him that I would wait until I was ready and really in love before I slept with anyone, and that was preferably after marriage."

" So, you promised your father you would wait until your wedding night to sleep with anyone?" Coop asked, shocked.

" Yes. Do you think that is stupid?" Lizzie asked.

" No. I admire you for that. Not many people would make a promise like that and be able to keep it. But I have no doubt that you will." Coop said. " But I want you to know, I would never pressure you into doing anything. I respect that you want to wait and I will not go against your wishes." Coop said, trying to prove himself to her.

" I know that you will. I just wanted to get that out in the open." Lizzie said. "Now, should we head on to the mountains?" Lizzie asked.

" Yes, I guess we should." Coop said, getting up and getting Lizzie's hand. " Ladies first."

" Thank you." Lizzie said, and got back into the car, preparing to finally go on their trip.

Phillip had promised Gus and Alan Michael he would stay away from the mansion, but he couldn't. He wanted to see the misery that Alan was going through. He had to be very careful so that Alan wouldn't see him. He peeked around the corner into the main living room at Spaulding. There was his father with a drink in hand just staring in a daze.

Alan was sipping his drink and thinking about what the last chunk of his life had been about. He had killed his son. His beloved son who he loved more than anyone else in the world.

" Phillip, why did you make me shoot you? Why did you make me kill you?" Alan wondered aloud. " You brought it all on yourself you know."

Phillip was listening to his father and decided he had heard enough and started to back up, but not before running into some boxes in the hallway.

" Who's there?" Alan shouted and got up and ran towards the hallway.

Phillip was running as fast as he could out of the hallway and he rounded the corner just as Alan opened the doors to the hallway. He saw the back of a familiar head running out of the hall.

"Phillip!" Alan yelled!

Spoilers for Chapter 18

Lizzie and Coop enjoy their romantic getaway

The trip is cut short when Lizzie gets a call about her mother

Beth is deathly sick and Lizzie is the only one who can help her

Lizzie makes a difficult decision

Phillip manages to escape unseen

Alan spirals out of control

New Spoiler for down the road:

Beth has been diagnosed with Hepatitis C as a result of her rape years ago. A female blood family member is the best match for the liver donor. Beth will need half of a liver to survive. If Lizzie goes through the procedure, she takes two risks. One, everyone would find out her secret and two, she takes a huge risk on her life as the procedure can have deadly consequences. Will Lizzie risk her life to save her mothers?

Whitney


End file.
